"Student Web3 & Metavers Super Conference 3rd Edition" Event Report

This event was held with an emphasis on making Web 3.0 and the metaverse easy to understand even for beginners. It consisted of sessions by entrepreneurs who represent the Web 3.0 and metaverse fields, a speech by Masaaki Taira, a member of the House of Representatives who is also the deputy head of the Liberal Democratic Party's Digital Society Promotion Headquarters and the chair of web3PT, and a session by him and students.

▶︎OKCoinJapan, Mr. Hakkaku

▶︎Nanameue, Mr. Ishihama

The event started with a greeting from Mr. Amekaeru, CEO of WeCreate3. Mr. Amekaeru was full of passion as he spoke about "the significance of students spreading correct knowledge about Web3.0 and the metaverse."

Following this were greetings from the main sponsors, Daisuke Yakaku, COO of domestic cryptocurrency exchange OKCoinJapan, and Takahiro Ishihama, CEO of Nanameue ​​Inc., which provides the virtual world "Yay!". Each spoke about the importance of growth in the Web3.0 field, while discussing their own company's services and future prospects.

▶︎RainbowChain's Amegumi

▶︎Cluster's Tomine

In the first session, titled "Web3 & Metaverse Session," in addition to Ishihama, RainbowChain CEO Amegumi, Cluster's Tomine, and Digital Entertainment Asset COO Shinya Kiryu participated. Before the conversation-style session, a basic course was given in each of their fields of expertise that was easy for beginners to understand.

Amegumi, who took the stage first, gave an explanation of NFTs for beginners, mentioning that "with the spread of Web3.0, we will enter a world where we manage our own data and assets ourselves." In Wrb3.0, this will be realized by blockchain.

Next, Tomine spoke about the metaverse, explaining his own theory that "currently it is like a game. In the future it will become a new media," and emphasized that "the ideal for those of us involved in the metaverse is for the metaverse to become the infrastructure of the world."

▶︎From the left: Tomine, Amegumi, Ishihama, and Kiryu

In the conversation-style session, the topic of incentives through Web 3.0 came up. STEPN was given as a representative example, and it was said that the reason it continues to generate so much value is because of user incentives, and that building this system is the key.

In particular, Ishihama gave PayPay as an easy-to-understand example of the spread of wallets, which are considered to be a barrier to entry for Web 3.0.

At a time when the perception that other electronic payment tools were enough was spreading, PayPay built a large-scale incentive for users. By implementing a rebate campaign on a scale of tens of billions of yen, it quickly spread throughout the world.

In the process, users became accustomed to using PayPay, and it is still used as a major electronic payment tool today, he explained. The same goes for wallets and other barriers to entry in the Web 3.0 field, and he expressed the view that designing incentives for users is extremely important.

Kiryu agreed with these opinions, based on the background of the spread of his company's blockchain game. He said that mainly in Southeast Asia, "user incentives played an important role."

He also said that in the beginning, users often started because they wanted money and were doing the community and the game, but as they played the game, they got used to it and it became a normal thing to do. This normality seemed to be the key to expanding the number of users.

Regarding what could happen with the spread of Web 3.0, Ishihama's words "there is a possibility that the use of fiat currency will decrease" were also impressive.

He argued that "the penetration of Web 3.0 will lead to a rapid decrease in the frequency of use, and the idea that we need to use not only fiat currency but also crypto assets such as Ethereum (ETH) in parallel will gradually spread among many people."

Meanwhile, Amegumi said, "In the Web 3.0 field, students have a chance." The value of students seems to be particularly well recognized among his circle.

The reason is, "Web 3.0 is not yet in order." Based on his own experience, Amegumi pointed out that if you play blockchain games, you could end up becoming the most knowledgeable person in Japan.

The reason behind this is the current situation where many companies, including major ones, lack knowledge and know-how in the Web 3.0 field. Taking this situation into account, he said, "Students should be able to find something they like in the expanding Web 3.0 field, which includes entertainment, finance, and games," and "The current situation with Web 3.0 is that you can do what you love and still be valued by companies."

His words about wanting students to take full advantage of the advantages of being a student were memorable.

▶︎LDP, Representative Taira

And then, Representative Taira entered the venue and was greeted with a big round of applause. He began by talking about the AI ​​field, which has been heating up since the beginning of this year.

Representative Taira mentioned that generative AI has been drawing more attention due to ChatGPT, and said that he is currently discussing Japan's position with domestic and international experts. He also reported that he had spoken with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company that develops ChatGPT, last month.

Altman visited Japan last month and made headlines by meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, during which he also attended the LDP's "PT on the evolution and implementation of AI."

According to Altman, Japan is the country that uses ChatGPT the most. Representative Taira said that he sincerely hoped for further spread of ChatGPT in Japan.

The background to this statement is the AI ​​regulations that are spreading mainly in Europe and the United States. Some countries have already imposed restrictions on use due to the risk of personal information leaks, and ChatGPT's global expansion is in jeopardy.

Mr. Taira said that cultural differences may also be a factor in this situation, and stated, "In Japan, we regulate matters related to national security, basic human rights, and the foundations of democracy, as well as intellectual property, but we plan to use AI in principle. Rather, we should make full use of it."

Next, regarding Web 3.0, he said that while the situation that is being called the "cryptocurrency winter" continues in countries around the world, there are opinions that Japan is having a "warm winter." He said that this is proof that Japan has made efforts to establish regulations, and that it is also connected to laying the foundation for Web 3.0. In fact, when FTX collapsed last year, in addition to the swift response, customer assets were protected through robust regulations.

In addition, Japan has high potential IP such as tourist experiences, food, manga, anime, and games, but the low price compared to international prices is an issue. Mr. Taira said that he hopes that by utilizing Web 3.0, these issues can be resolved.

Regarding the mass adoption of Web 3.0, he emphasized that it is still necessary to improve its lack of clarity. As an example of a stimulant, he said that at the Osaka World Expo to be held in 2025, "there are plans to equip all citizens with wallets and distribute NFTs." He said that it would be effective to implement this as a national strategy now that the environment is being established.

▶Representative Taira and students asking questions

After the lecture, a session was held between Representative Taira and students. While the students asked some sharp questions, Representative Taira's answers were also convincing to many of the participants.

When asked by a student about AI and education, Representative Taira replied, "We will use innovative technologies such as AI to make up for issues such as limited space and the number of teachers. It is time to redesign education."

Next, in response to the question, "How do you feel about the contradiction that the government, which is a symbol of centralization, is promoting the decentralized Web 3.0?", he said, "The state and Web 3.0 will not clash. There should be a division of roles, and it is important to distinguish between whether a centralized platform is good or a decentralized one."

After all the sessions had finished, there was a free exchange session. Not only did participants communicate with each other, but large crowds could also be seen at the booths of the sponsoring companies.

Many students participated in this event, including high school students. Although there were individual differences in enthusiasm and knowledge about Web 3.0, on the other hand, it could be said that the environment was one in which anyone could easily participate without feeling any barriers and with an open mind to learn.

The event was a success until the very end, but members of the organizers, WeCreate3, said that "new issues have come to light," and they are already looking ahead.

WeCreate3 is expected to continue its energetic activities to achieve its goal of "spreading correct knowledge about Web 3.0 and the metaverse among students," and it is likely that even more attention will be paid to the group in the future.

Images: Iolite, WeCreate3

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