The rise of blockchain and its progressive derivatives, resembling web3, metaverse, and NFTs, has created an insatiable thirst for data and information about these applied sciences. In consequence, conferences and occasions around the globe have sprung up, attracting specialists, business leaders and fans trying to share their views and change concepts.

Considered one of these huge conferences is the Seoul Meta Week. Based by Chris Na, this occasion guarantees to be a spotlight for anybody within the newest developments within the web3 area. Na has been internet hosting conferences throughout Korea and different Asian international locations since 2015. He was launched to blockchain and cryptocurrencies in 2016 and began organizing the Blockchain Companions Summit in 2018. With the rise of the web3 these In recent times, he developed an curiosity in area and located it essential to create a large-scale dialogue platform on the topic, which led to the delivery of Seoul Meta Week in 2021.

With its dynamic packages, exhibitions, professional panel discussions and networking alternatives with key gamers, Seoul Meta Week attracts prime business leaders and fans from around the globe. Among the visitor audio system on the convention embrace Sébastien Borget, COO and co-founder of The Sandbox; Cong Ye, Tencent’s Generative AI and XR Product Supervisor; Josh Drean, web3 advisor at Harvard Innovation Labs, and plenty of others.

Via this five-day occasion, Na goals to bridge the web3 information hole and promote the event of blockchain know-how in Korea and past. Earlier than the convention kicks off on Could 26, we inform him about Korea’s robust curiosity in web3 and what units Seoul Meta Week aside from different web3 conferences.

Inform us a bit about your background and the way you based Seoul Meta Week.

Since 2015, I’ve been organizing numerous conferences in Korea and main Asian international locations round points resembling economics, know-how, finance, and politics. In 2016, I used to be launched to blockchain and cryptocurrencies and supported investments and enterprise creation. Since then, I assumed it was essential to set the agenda for the scene and I’ve been organizing conferences just like the Blockchain Companions Summit since 2018; with the rise of Web3 in 2021, I began organizing an occasion referred to as Seoul Meta Week.

What piqued your curiosity on the earth of web3 and what impressed you to create Seoul Meta Week? What was the largest problem in bringing it to fruition?

After I first realized about blockchain and cryptocurrency in 2016, the continued debate was about proof of practicality. Web3 has been an rising idea within the blockchain scene since 2020. As an investor and entrepreneur, I could not assist however get within the idea and proof of web3. I assumed it could be nice to have a large-scale dialogue about this web3 wave and manage Seoul Meta Week.

The truth is, there have been no main difficulties in finishing up the Seoul Meta Week, as many gamers have been ready for such a platform. Quite the opposite, the dilemma is that it’s not sufficiently introduced to many doubtlessly gamers.

South Korea has embraced the metaverse, and the federal government has launched quite a few metaverse initiatives over the previous yr. What do you assume is the rationale for the nation’s huge curiosity within the Metaverse?

South Korea is a rustic with a robust leisure and video games business, and I feel the leisure and video games business, particularly, has numerous energy within the spatiality of the metaverse.

The rationale Korea is within the metaverse is that there’s a lot of content material, and the thought of ​​having the ability to continuously devour content material in a steady area and time could be very interesting.

What are a number of the promising metaverse and web3 merchandise you’ve got seen rising from the Korean non-public sector?

The reply to this query is finest discovered at Seoul Meta Week in late June, as every firm has its personal embargo points, and I do not need to give away any spoilers. In Korea, the company web3 mannequin, particularly the one led by massive enterprises, is lifting the veil one after one other. It is protected to say that nearly each main firm is engaged on Web3 and metaverse tasks, lots of which might be unveiled throughout Seoul Meta Week.

How do you see the metaverse, NFTs, and blockchain know-how evolving within the subsequent few years, and what implications do you assume this can have for Korean society?

The metaverse is prone to redefine the idea of “connection” on-line. NFTs will broaden the idea of “group”. And blockchain will not be outlined or utilized as a know-how of particular person items, however fairly might be mirrored as an underlying know-how throughout all domains.

Korea is a rustic delicate to alter and communication. I count on these aforementioned developments to have a profound affect not solely on tradition and trendy fields, but in addition on different fields resembling politics, society, and schooling.

What measures is Seoul Meta Week taking to make sure that it stays on the forefront of developments in Web3, metaverse, NFT, and blockchain applied sciences?

Till final yr, after we have been nonetheless affected by COVID-19, we tried to arrange simultaneous occasions within the metaverse area, however now that we’re free from COVID-19, we’re focusing extra on occasions. offline experiences. This yr we’re contemplating becoming a member of the NFT, though time is operating out. Via this NFT membership, we hope to grow to be a platform that gives a long-lasting expertise, not simply one-time occasion attendance. There are a couple of extra hidden maps within the works, however we’ll step by step introduce them via official bulletins.

Various excessive profile audio system might be featured on the pageant. How did you and your crew resolve which audio system to ask this yr?

Our content material administration crew seems at issues like affect, innovation, and affect when deciding who to ask. We even have a course of to determine promising audio system who will quickly grow to be superstars.

Are you able to talk about any success tales or case research from former Seoul Meta Week attendees or attendees?

I discussed earlier that I used to be discovering potential superstars, and there was a startup that we found at our first occasion two years in the past. This firm has grown from an early-stage startup to a unicorn-like firm that raised $35 million in Collection B final summer time, which has been a troublesome time investing. They attended our occasion in 2021, and we now have continued to companion with them on numerous packages since then.

How does Seoul Meta Week facilitate collaboration and networking alternatives on Web3?

Considered one of our mottos is “Create a Web3 world with out strangers”. Till final yr, networking was restricted as we weren’t fairly proof against the results of COVID-19, however this yr we’re actually specializing in strengthening networking. First, there might be 2-3 networking occasions organized by us and plenty of networking with our companions and particular person aspect occasions.

What units Seoul Meta Week aside from different conferences or occasions within the Web3 area?

I feel our greatest differentiator is the composition of the individuals. Should you attend different Web3 conferences, you will discover that the majority attendees are acquainted faces you’ve got met at different occasions. Which means that they’re principally individuals from business. At Seoul Metaweek, over 90% of our attendees come from the Web2 business. Which means that most attendees are Web2 attendees trying ahead to increasing into Web3, associating or collaborating. One other approach to take a look at it’s that that is an occasion with numerous potential shoppers from the web3 business.

And we emphasize practicality fairly than theoretical discussions like the way forward for know-how or cryptocurrency. Which means it is all about apps and content material.

Please inform us about a number of the most enjoyable packages or occasions attendees can count on throughout Seoul Meta Week.

I might positively spotlight the primary occasion, ‘METACON’. If you wish to know the traits of the primary world web3 tasks and meet them, METACON2023 is to not be missed. This yr there may even be a particular exhibition. I am unable to wait to find the web3 which has grow to be so near our actuality.

How do you see Seoul Meta Week contributing to the long-term development and growth of the business?

In the long run, I count on Seoul Meta Week to grow to be an occasion just like the Web3 model of CES in Asia. I look ahead to enjoying the position of agenda maker, highlighting the newest traits and setting the important thing agendas that can information the yr forward. On the similar time, we additionally look ahead to being a platform for numerous enlargement tasks and reference to new enterprise alternatives.

What are your plans for the way forward for Seoul Meta Week and the way do you see it evolving within the years to come back?

For now, we’ll follow what we talked about earlier. I feel occasions are like natural life types, so if they’ve life, I count on them to develop naturally. However the path of this development is tough for me to foretell. However I’ve little doubt that it is going to be an occasion for everybody, by everybody and from everybody.

What are a number of the greatest challenges dealing with the web3 business proper now and the way do you assume they are going to be addressed over the subsequent few years?

There are numerous challenges, however I feel the volatility of cryptocurrency has a big effect on Web3 adoption. Nevertheless, I imagine this might be largely mitigated by the widespread adoption of web3 by web2. In my view, the bigger and extra tangible the size, the smaller the spectrum of volatility might be.

What recommendation would you give to people or firms wishing to enter the web3 area?

It is one thing anybody can say, however web3 is evolving into a brand new financial system, not only a know-how development. The cafe I’m going to each morning can have a Web3 system, and my mother and father’ wild ginseng farm can have a Web3 system. I feel it is just like the early days of the web when there was numerous alternative and numerous trial and error. There are many alternatives for individuals to get into web3 if they’re . In fact, those that are concerned with it first would be the first to have the chance. It appears like breaking information, however coming to an occasion like Seoul Meta Week may even be a very good alternative to get some concentrated data in a single go.

Study extra: