Mark Cuban-backed Blocto partners with South Korean METAPIXEL to bring blockchain gaming to the masses
Blocto, a Mark Cuban-backed blockchain startup, has joined forces with South Korean gaming developer unicorn NPIXEL’s Web3 arm, METAPIXEL, to bring blockchain gaming to the masses. MEGAPIXEL is a web3 gaming ecosystem that focuses on developing high-quality web3 games that compete with traditional games.
The partnership represents Blocto’s collaboration with one of the largest GameFi players on Aptos and solidifies its already established leadership position as one of the top three largest wallets in the Aptos ecosystem.
NPIXEL, the parent company of METAPIXEL, is acknowledged as the fastest-growing game developer unicorn in Korea, known for the top-grossing MMORPG game title Gran Saga. NPIXEL brings extensive knowledge in triple-A quality gameplay and interactive engagement, enabling the integration of web3’s advantages such as interoperability, composability, and additional utility into the current gaming paradigm.
As part of the partnership, Blocto will serve as the main wallet for Gran Saga: Unlimited players of METAPIXEL, providing social/email login, sponsorship for gas fees, and exceptional access to dApps within the Aptos ecosystem. To encourage user engagement and enthusiasm for METAPIXEL, continuous community initiatives like tester recruitment campaigns, NFT claims, and airdrops are currently underway.
With the integration of Blocto Wallet to premier web3 gaming projects such as METAPIXEL, gamers are provided with simplified onboarding to the world of web3. This includes unbridled access to a wealth of dApps across the massive web3 ecosystem and the ability to display NFT assets in their cross-platform Blocto Wallet profile as a showcase of decentralized identity, underpinned by seamless connectivity via social and email logins. Overall, the partnership culminates significance towards building Blocto’s impressive array of projects across NFTs, gaming, and DeFi in its chain-agnostic ecosystem, which supports Ethereum, Aptos, Polygon, Solana, Flow, BNB Chain, and Tron blockchains, with more to come.
“Our vision at METAPIXEL is not just to revolutionize the gaming industry but to create a gaming experience that connects the real and virtual worlds. Blockchain technology will be the driving force behind this new paradigm, and our collaboration with Blocto will help us achieve our mission by providing gamers with seamless access to blockchain wallets. With our combined efforts, we are confident that we can bridge the gap between active and potential players, thereby promoting web3 adoption and propelling the industry forward,” Joseph Lee, Business Director, METAPIXEL, said.
In a statement, Hsuan Lee, Co-founder and CEO, Blocto, said: “Blocto is committed to empowering individuals to participate in the crypto economy without the complexities of managing their digital assets. Our user-friendly and secure portals provide a frictionless onboarding experience, which is crucial to the widespread adoption of crypto. We are thrilled to contribute to the democratization of blockchain gaming and bringing it to the masses.”
The announcement comes just two months after the Blocto Series A round in February 2023. Since then, Blocto has amassed 1.6 million active users and increased its company valuation eightfold to $80 million. BloctoBay is now the most popular non-custodial NFT marketplace on the Flow blockchain. After its recent expansion into the Aptos ecosystem — as part of its chain-agnostic efforts to drive mass adoption across multiple networks — Blocto has quickly established itself as the second-largest Aptos wallet with more than 400,000 users.
Founded in Taipei in 2019, Blocto and its parent company portto aim to further blockchain adoption by eliminating common newcomer pain points for users, developers, and marketers. User experience and dedication to lowering entry barriers are at the heart of Blocto’s mission. As such, Blocto was among the first to champion email logins, universal gas fees, and other innovative UX improvements, significantly reducing overall user acquisition costs.