Near the open source, climate-neutral blockchain and creator of the Blockchain Operating System (BOS), today announced a strategic partnership with leading blockchain gaming company WEMADE to help support the development of blockchain apps in Korea and other markets.
Near and WEMADE will jointly support initiatives to increase mutual brand awareness; invest in research and collaboration on cross-chain; host more community events like hackathons and boot camps; and scout for potential Web3 business opportunities and nurture the next generation of Web3 developers.
Commenting on the partnership, Marieke Flament, CEO of the Near Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with WEMADE as part of our shared vision towards a decentralized future for the gaming industry. By joining forces, we are confident in our ability to accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions that meet the growing needs of gamers and developers in the Web3 space.”
A renowned industry leader in game development, Korea-based WEMADE is leading a once-in-a-generation shift as the gaming industry pivots to blockchain technology. Its WEMIX subsidiary is building an experience-based, platform-driven, and service-oriented mega-ecosystem that will give users everywhere access to a wide spectrum of intuitive, convenient, and easy-to-use Web3 services and applications.
“WEMADE and Near share a similar vision of enabling and accelerating the mainstream adoption of blockchain to create a future of near limitless potential use cases and benefits for all of us across many different areas of our daily lives,” said Shane Kim, CEO, WEMIX and Vice President, WEMADE. “In order to achieve that vision, we must make it easier, faster and more cost effective for developers to onboard off-chain apps, organizations and startups, and are confident that this partnership with Near Protocol is ideally positioned to do so.”
This is Near’s second major brand partnership announcement in Korea after it partnered with Kakao Games’ METABORA earlier this year. South Korea has been at the forefront of setting trends and leading technological research and is ranked among the top 10 nations on Global Innovation Index by the World Intellectual Property Organization. There has been consistent investment in the Web3 blockchain gaming industry, with more than $500 million invested between October and November last year.
Near Protocol recently released its Blockchain Operating System (BOS), which maximizes Near’s Web3 usability, making Near the entry point to the open web for users and developers alike.” said Scott Lee, General Manager, Near Korea Hub.“ we will derive a successful mainstream adoption in Korea gaming industry through of BOS.”
