[NEWS] KDDI signs partnership with Aster Networks in the Web 3.0 field

On the 24th, KDDI announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Stake Technologies Pte. Ltd. and Startale Labs Pte. Ltd., developers of the Japanese public chain Astar Network, to collaborate in the Web 3.0 field.

The two companies will continue to discuss the specifics of the collaboration and the roles of each company, and will work to create new customer experiences in the Web 3.0 era and accelerate the social implementation of blockchain.

The outline of the agreement is as follows:

1. Joint study of NFT and Web 3.0 content that creates new customer experiences
2. Consideration of Astar zkEVM (Aster zkEVM powered by Polygon) support for KDDI's NFT marketplace "αU Market" and cryptocurrency wallet "αU Wallet"
3. Joint study for the creation and expansion of new services compatible with αU Wallet
4. Joint study of new businesses using token technology, etc.

Astar zkEVM is a blockchain network developed and provided by Astar Network in partnership with Polygon Labs as a layer 2 of Ethereum (ETH) equipped with ZK technology.

ZK technology is a technology that utilizes zero-knowledge proofs, and is said to have the potential to bring innovation to many fields by providing a safe and efficient way to verify information while maintaining privacy and security. Applications are being explored in various fields such as privacy, security, scalability, and interoperability.

ZK technology is also said to be compatible with the product market in use cases such as privacy and authentication. Zero-knowledge proofs allow one party to prove the existence of something true without revealing any information about itself to another party.

Startail Labs provides infrastructure for companies to develop Web 3.0 services, and also supports Astar zkEVM.

The two companies will combine KDDI's knowledge of 5G communications and content and service management using the latest technology with Astar Networks and Startail Labs' global network and know-how and technology related to the Web 3.0 business, aiming to expand αU services and create new customer experiences such as a creator economy using Web 3.0 technology.

At the announcement, Startail Lab CEO Sota Watanabe said that collaboration with KDDI will enable new approaches to Web 3.0 and contributions to the creator economy, and said, "We hope that the combination of various Web 3.0-based services, including infrastructure services provided by Startail Lab, will lead to the creation of new businesses that utilize Web 3.0 and the development of content that is faster and more scalable."

αU is a metaverse/Web 3.0 service announced by KDDI in March this year. It aims to create a world where anyone can easily move between reality and virtuality, such as live streaming and virtual shopping, and be active as a creator.

It offers "αU Metaverse," where you can enjoy entertainment experiences and conversations with friends in the metaverse, "αU Market," where you can purchase digital art works, and "αU Wallet," where you can manage NFTs and crypto assets. Services such as "αU place" and "αU live" were also launched on the 24th.

Stake Technology, which will collaborate this time, is also known for having signed a basic agreement with NTT Docomo last year to promote the spread of Web 3.0. Docomo has already announced that it will invest 600 billion yen in the Web 3.0 field, and attention is focused on the progress of both parties.

In addition, last month, KDDI signed a business partnership agreement in the Web 3.0 field with HashPort, which provides services using blockchain and NFTs, and its subsidiary HashPalette. αU market and αU wallet have now supported Palette Chain, a blockchain network provided by HashPalette.

Reference:Announcement
Image: Quoted from the announcement