Blockchain Startups Expanding Their Territory

PIP Labs, Connecting AI Agents

Namu Labs, Partnership with Thirdweb

CrossAngle Forms Alliance with Hanseong University

Blockchain startups founded by Koreans, both domestically and internationally, are recently expanding their businesses. They are enhancing their competitiveness through various means such as utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and expanding partnerships.

The blockchain-based startup PIP Labs has unveiled 'ATCP/IP', a standard protocol for AI agent communication, on its IP (Intellectual Property) ecosystem platform 'Story' last month. Lee Seung-yoon, the co-founder of this company, is a serial entrepreneur. He founded the web novel platform Radish and sold it to Kakao Entertainment for $440 million in 2021.

PIP Labs explained, "AI agents are systems that autonomously perform tasks, make decisions, and achieve goals through data processing and learning," adding, "For these agents, IP is not just a simple asset or property right but the DNA that constitutes the agent's essential identity." They further stated, "All data that AI agents train on and all outcomes generated by agents are IP assets with economic value."

However, existing AI agents were isolated and could only interact in a limited manner due to the lack of a standard protocol for interaction. Just as the internet enabled human connections through TCP/IP (Internet Connection Standard Protocol), 'ATCP/IP' connects AI agents to facilitate free transactions and collaborations.

Web3.0 specialized software developer Namu Labs signed a partnership with the Web3.0 development platform Thirdweb last month. Namu Labs is a startup with a history of building government-led blockchain projects and customized Web3.0 transition systems for enterprises. Thirdweb provides an open-source development platform for Web3.0 applications and games. Through this partnership, Namu Labs plans to establish an integrated Web3.0 development environment with Thirdweb and develop AI-based blockchain services. The two companies will also continue to collaborate on activating the domestic Web3.0 development ecosystem through developer education programs and technical support.

CrossAngle, the operator of the virtual asset data platform 'Zangle', recently formed a strategic partnership with Hanseong University's Blockchain Research Institute. The two entities will collaborate to enhance the transparency of virtual asset circulation based on on-chain data and expand blockchain data analysis personnel and related facilities. On-chain data refers to transaction records occurring on the blockchain. It plays a crucial role in ensuring the transparency and reliability of virtual asset transactions.

CrossAngle plans to link its own products and accumulated data systems with the on-chain information held by Hanseong University's Blockchain Research Institute. Through this, they aim to establish standards for estimating virtual asset circulation and build a related data archive to enhance the transparency of the blockchain ecosystem.

Kim Joo-wan, reporter kjwan@hankyung.com