"Disruptors Unplugged" is a high-end dialogue program focusing on discussing disruptive technologies, launched by Starlabs Consulting.
In this episode of "Disruptors Unplugged", Starlabs Consulting interviewed Dr. Sam Seo, Chairman of Kaia DLT Foundation. Dr. Sam Seo introduced Kaia's vision of "bringing Web3 to the fingertips of millions of people in Asia", the upcoming Mini DApps and DApp Portal launched by Kaia in cooperation with LINE NEXT and their empowerment for $KAIA, Kaia's latest progress in the development of DeFi, Memecoin and other ecosystems, Kaia's localized operation strategy in different markets around the world, and the latest news on Kaia's native stablecoin plan.
On December 12, LINE NEXT Inc. ("LINE NEXT"), a subsidiary of LINE dedicated to developing the Web3 ecosystem, and the Kaia Foundation jointly announced that they will launch Mini DApps and DApp Portal services in the first quarter of 2025, which users can use directly in the LINE communication software.
The collaboration between Kaia DLT Foundation (Kaia) and LINE NEXT aims to integrate its blockchain solution into the mainnet and ensure the perfect operation of Mini DApps and DApp Portal. Mini DApps and DApp Portal will be integrated into the LINE Messaging super app in January next year. As a comprehensive end-user platform, it can help users discover and play these outstanding Mini DApps on the LINE Messenger App. Since September, more than 800 teams have applied for admission through the Kaia Wave program, and finally 30 DApps were selected to become the first batch of mini programs officially launched on LINE Messenger. The Kaia Wave program aims to discover, attract and access competitive Web3 projects supported by Kaia within the LINE Messenger ecosystem.
The following are highlights from this episode of “Investors Unplugged.”
Key points of this article:
- When LINE Messenger’s Mini DApps and DApp Portal go live, Kaia will launch the first batch of 30 Web3 services, which were selected from more than 800 applications, some of which have already been successful in the Telegram community.
- Kaia's utility token $KAIA will play an important role in LINE Messenger's Mini DApps and DApp Portal to facilitate payments, incentives, and rewards. We will expand the utility of $KAIA by providing additional benefits to users, putting $KAIA at the forefront.
- Kaia Chain recently launched the KaiaFun platform, which will open a new memecoin ecosystem on the Kaia network and introduce hundreds of unique memecoins to users.
- Kaia is in discussion with a major stablecoin issuer to issue a native USD stablecoin on the Kaia chain. Once successfully launched, it will facilitate the seamless operation of LINE's Mini DApps and DApp Portal and further promote the growth of DeFi infrastructure.
🌃Starlabs: Compared with the integration of "TON+Telegram", what is unique about "Kaia+LINE NEXT"?
Sam Seo: Unlike Telegram, LINE Messaging App is not only a messaging platform, but also a super life assistant used by both crypto and non-crypto users. LINE's DApp Portal and Mini DApps will provide unparalleled user experience (UX) based on a simple user interface (UI).
In Mini DApps, private keyless digital wallets, 0-fee delegation, and instant transactions are perfectly combined. In addition, DApp Portal provides Mini DApps discovery tools and seamless functionality, and Mini DApps are strictly screened to provide high-quality, user-centric Web3 services. Based on these factors, we believe that the Mini DApps program will be a huge success and change the way Web3 is used.
🌃Starlabs: According to Kaia’s roadmap, Kaia’s cooperation with the LINE ecosystem does not seem to be as tight as the binding between TON and Telegram. Do you agree with this statement?
Sam Seo: Kaia and LINE NEXT are working together in an exclusive, close partnership. Teams from both companies communicate daily to improve technical integrity, user experience, and marketing effectiveness. LINE NEXT's Web3 services and blockchain-enabled LINE messenger plans will be developed and run seamlessly on the Kaia blockchain.
🌃Starlabs: Will the Mini DApps ecosystem brought by Kaia+LINE NEXT bring more utility to $KAIA?
Sam Seo: Kaia Blockchain's utility token $KAIA will play an important role in LINE Messenger's Mini DApps and DApp Portal to facilitate payments, incentives, and rewards. We will put $KAIA in a leading position by providing additional benefits to users to expand the utility of $KAIA. We plan to tailor incentive policies for DApps partners who help expand the utility of $KAIA by using $KAIA in their services. For example, if a DApp purchases $KAIA from the secondary market to reward its users, we can provide a lot of marketing support, such as advertising on the DApp Portal homepage.
🌃Starlabs: Which services and applications in the Kaia ecosystem can help convert the massive Web2 users of Kakao Talk and LINE into active Web3 users?
Sam Seo: Kaia will launch the first batch of 30 Web3 services when LINE Messenger's Mini DApps and DApp Portal go live. Our screening process focuses on finding the most entertaining and productive DApps services as possible, some of which have been successful in the Telegram mini-program community. The first batch of services to go online include Web3 games, healthcare, etc. You can learn more about them on Kaia's Medium (https://medium.com/kaiachain).
From what I understand, DApps can succeed by providing entertainment through Web3 games. In addition, healthcare DApps like SuperZ can improve users’ health potential by encouraging and rewarding healthy habits and active lifestyles. Some applications can also significantly improve efficiency by combining AI scheduling and assistant functions. In the future, we will support the introduction of more competitive DApps that combine blockchain and AI to provide AI agent services.
🌃Starlabs: What infrastructure and services does the Kaia ecosystem have for memecoins?
Sam Seo: Kaia has a strong and vibrant memecoin ecosystem. We recently launched KaiaFun, a memecoin platform similar to Pump.fun. KaiaFun will open a new memecoin ecosystem in Kaia, introducing hundreds of unique memecoins to our users. In addition, Kaia's DeFi infrastructure is also equipped with essential financial modules to drive the development of Kaia's meme economy.
🌃Starlabs: What strategies do you have in place to attract more developers to join the Kaia ecosystem? Do you have a developer bounty program?
Sam Seo: Kaia Wave provides diversified practical support in terms of user acquisition and growth opportunities, which is more critical to the success of Web3 projects, rather than relying on financial subsidies to attract developers. Therefore, since September, we have received more than 800 applications and have undergone fierce screening competition.
🌃Starlabs: In terms of community promotion, what measures will Kaia take (activities, airdrops, etc.)?
SamSeo: Kaia strengthens its ecosystem and community through influential marketing campaigns and airdrop events such as Kaia Epoch 1, distributing $KAIA tokens when a designated TVL milestone is reached. Our strategic collaborations with key partners such as Hashkey Group also reward and incentivize community participation to further promote the growth of our community. Kaia also actively hosts and participates in community events, including Hackerhouse, monthly Meetup, AMA, Town Halls, and large international Web3 conferences. These initiatives have successfully attracted end users and developers. In addition, our strong developer resources and integration with super apps such as LINE Messenger have enabled millions of users in Asia and beyond to easily join, driving the adoption and technological innovation of Web3.
🌃Starlabs: Kaia’s vision is to “bring Web3 to the fingertips of millions of people in Asia”. What was your original intention in setting this goal?
Sam Seo: Kaia is a merger of Klaytn and Finschia, which were originally developed by two different IT giants, Kakao and LINE. Given the background and team genes of these two chains, we have rich expertise in creating sustainable digital products and services for end users. Kaia continues this gene in the Web3 field and is committed to providing convenient Web3 products. In addition, we have unparalleled relationships with large Asian IT companies, which have super applications and infrastructure in technology, business and other fields, allowing us to reach the largest user group outside of China faster and more conveniently.
🌃Starlabs: Although your vision focuses on the Asian market, Web3 itself is borderless. What globalization strategies do you plan to implement in the future?
Sam Seo: To further foster the ecosystem in various markets in Asia, we have adopted a localization-first strategy, as each market has different needs and preferences. For example, Vietnam is one of our key markets with a developer-centric ecosystem. After extensive market research and discussions with local partners, we found that many developers are eager to replicate the success of Axie Infinity, even if they have not explicitly expressed this ambition. To support this vision, we have established a local team in Vietnam to assist developers in building on the Kaia chain and achieving their goals.
In the Philippines, the market is focused on gamers, and many gamers dream of creating large-scale game guilds like YGG. To this end, we prioritize working with local game guilds to help them grow their communities and integrate into our Web3 game ecosystem. This localized strategy enables us to build an ecosystem that meets local needs.
🌃Starlabs: From a recent Kaia Townhall meeting summary, Kaia seems to be planning to launch a stablecoin. Given the recent surge in market interest in stablecoins and PayFi, can you reveal your detailed plans in this regard?
Sam Seo: We are in discussion with a major stablecoin issuer to issue a native USD-based stablecoin on the Kaia chain. Once our discussions and negotiations are successfully concluded, Kaia can provide native stablecoins to its DeFi ecosystem while implementing a stablecoin payment mechanism in LINE Messenger's Mini DApps. This will facilitate seamless operation of LINE's Mini DApps and DApp Portal and further drive the growth of our DeFi infrastructure.
