NEAR Protocol Continues to accelerate market share in Korean Web3 Gaming Industry by Becoming the First ever to Integrate with Netmarble's subsidiary MARBLEX 'WARP Bridge'

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• NEAR Foundation signed a strategic partnership with MARBLEX, a blockchain-focused subsidiary of Netmarble Corp.
• NEAR Protocol aims to mutually grow within the gaming space as the first to integrate with WARP Bridge
• With heavy emphasis on Korean Hub, NEAR Protocol strives to lead the fast-growing Korean Web3 industry

SEOUL, South Korea, June 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NEAR Foundation announced a strategic partnership with MARBLEX, a blockchain specialized subsidiary under Netmarble Corp., to further expand Web3 ecosystem.

NEAR Foundation and MARBLEX plan to achieve mutual growth by linking with WARP Bridge to enable interactive collaboration, promoting global joint marketing events, and enhancing brand awareness through the signing of this strategic partnership.

NEAR Protocol will be the first to integrate with MARLBEX via WARP Bridge. Both MARBLEX existing and to-be launched games will be onboarded as a result. Users will be able to enjoy a variety of games and contents combined with NEAR Protocol's innate high user convenience. As such, the two companies plan on continuously collaborating to expand the Web3 ecosystem.

MARBLEX, which has signed a business agreement with NEAR Protocol, is a blockchain-powered subsidiary of Netmarble Corp, a well-established developer and publisher of mobile games, comprising more than 6,000 experts from across the globe. MARBLEX aims to bring the highest quality blockchain games to market by providing key services such as a cryptocurrency wallet, decentralized exchange, token staking and an NFT marketplace.

Junki Moon, Business Division Director of MARBLEX, added: "We, MARBLEX expect the NEAR Protocol's core narrative to play a pivotal role in bolstering the overall MBX 3.0 ecosystem. Through the collaborative integration of the NEAR Foundation's extensive technical expertise with content prowess of the MBX ecosystem, we will maintain our position as pioneers in the ever-evolving landscape of global blockchain trends."

Robbie Lim, GM, Partners and International at NEAR Foundation, stated, "This collaboration with MARBLEX will be an important milestone in promoting various use cases based on NEAR's Blockchain Operating System (BOS). We will continuously advance the gaming ecosystem of NEAR Protocol as well as attract numerous users to enter the Web3 scene by onboarding high-quality MBX content."

NEAR Korea Hub, which oversees business development in Korea and Asia, played a key role in this strategic partnership. Although NEAR Protocol is a relatively late entrant to the Korean market, the addition of Kakao Games' web3 arm BORA and WEMADE, and now Netmarble's MARBLEX to the NEAR ecosystem, has made it a significant player in the domestic Web3 game market this year.

Scott Lee, General Manager, NEAR Korea Hub, commented: "NEAR Protocol provides user experience similar to Web2 using Fast Auth account abstraction feature, greatly lowering the initial entry barrier to Web3. We will continue to seek out partnerships with excellent domestic companies such as Netmarble's subsidiary MARBLEX to implement a user-centered ecosystem where consumers can easily enjoy all services."

More information can be found on the NEAR Protocol's official Website, Medium, and Twitter.

Press Contacts
Luis Shin / Manager
NEAR Korea Hub
[email protected]

NEAR Foundation

The NEAR Foundation is a Swiss non-profit that oversees the governance and development of the NEAR protocol, a high-performance blockchain that is designed to be super-fast, incredibly secure, and infinitely scalable.

The NEAR team comprises world-class engineers and business development experts who have built a blockchain mainnet that is highly usable, scalable, and environment-friendly. NEAR Protocol has been recognized for its technical capabilities and has attracted investment from leading investors such as a16z, Coinbase Ventures, Multi Coin Capital, and Hashed. It also manages an ecosystem fund of $800 million to enhance the NEAR ecosystem.

NEAR Korea Hub

NEAR Korea Hub is a multi-function regional hub that manages the overall business in Korea and East Asia. Specifically, NEAR Korea Hub supports project onboarding, fostering developer community, marketing, and more.

MARBLEX 

MARBLEX is a blockchain-powered subsidiary of Netmarble Corp. Netmarble Corp. is a well-established developer and publisher of mobile games, comprised of more than 6,000 game industry veterans and blockchain technology experts from across the globe. MARBLEX aims to bring the highest quality blockchain games to market by providing key services such as a cryptocurrency wallet, decentralized exchange, token staking and an NFT Marketplace. MBX, a proprietary blockchain ecosystem launched by MARBLEX, allows gamers to advance their experiences through organic engagement and rewards for participation. The MBX ecosystem can be enjoyed as part of popular Netmarble titles, such as A3: Still Alive, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The King of Fighters Arena.

SOURCE NEAR Foundation