NEAR Protocol Partners with ZEP to Enhance Metaverse User Onboarding

South Korea's prominent metaverse platform, ZEP, has announced a strategic partnership with the global Layer 1 blockchain platform, NEAR Protocol. This collaboration, revealed on November 13, 2023, aims to facilitate user onboarding and enhance the development of ZEP's Web3 capabilities, marking a pivotal step in the evolution of both entities.

NEAR Protocol: A Catalyst for Growth in the Blockchain Space

NEAR Protocol, known for its user-friendly interface and stability akin to Web2, has emerged as a frontrunner among Layer 1 blockchains. Its optimized network for large-scale, user-oriented services has led to significant growth, with NEAR-based decentralized applications (dApps) achieving top rankings on DappRadar. This growth trajectory positions NEAR as a key player in the blockchain domain, offering robust support for various applications.

ZEP: Expanding Horizons in the Metaverse

ZEP, a joint venture between mobile game developer Supercat and NAVER Z's Zepeto, launched its beta version on November 30, 2021. With 1.3 million monthly active users and 8.3 million cumulative users in 2023, ZEP has captured the attention of both domestic and international markets. Its success in the South Korean market lays the groundwork for expansion into Japanese and Southeast Asian markets in the latter half of the year.

Collaboration: A Gateway to Enhanced Web3 Experiences

Mark Mi, Gaming Director of NEAR Protocol, emphasized the significance of this partnership in expanding NEAR's ecosystem into the metaverse. The collaboration is set to expose NEAR users to diverse content across various domains. By integrating with dApps in content and gaming, NEAR aims to bolster ZEP's business growth in the Web3 space.

This partnership is expected to yield a business model that offers varied benefits to users, focusing on developing Web3-related features that enhance convenience for both developers and users. ZEP's partners, leveraging this collaboration, will be able to issue and distribute diverse Web3-based digital assets, enriching the user experience in the ZEP metaverse.