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Game companies such as Nexsus and Wemade have begun issuing 'stablecoins.' The industry sees stablecoins as laying the foundation to achieve both liquidity and stability in the blockchain game ecosystem.

According to the gaming industry on the 2nd, among domestic game companies, Nexsus, Wemade, and Blomix are participating in stablecoin projects. Nexsus has registered the KRW-pegged stablecoin 'KRWx' on the BNB Chain, operated by the global cryptocurrency exchange Binance, and applied for a domestic trademark. Wemade is officially introducing the stablecoin USDC.e to the WEMIX 3.0 mainnet. In the case of Blomix, its parent company, the blockchain firm BPMG, has signed an MOU to jointly participate in a consortium for the STBC stablecoin project, which is being issued in Thailand.

The reason game companies are focusing on stablecoins is that they can boost the liquidity of game economic ecosystems. While cryptocurrencies are highly volatile in value, stablecoins maintain relatively stable value by being pegged to fiat currencies. Utilizing stablecoins within blockchain games enables players to intuitively grasp item values, potentially increasing economic activities. In other words, it encourages the circulation of assets.

Stablecoins also ensure the stability of in-game tokens. Before government discussions on stablecoin adoption began, Wemade was already issuing in-game stablecoins. The main example is 'WEMIX Dollar,' which is pegged to the US Dollar. However, there have been frequent depegging incidents where the value of WEMIX Dollar failed to remain stable and lost its peg to the US Dollar.

Wemade seeks to resolve this issue through another stablecoin, USDC.e. The core objective is to enhance stability by expanding possible exchange options for currency value. For instance, users can convert WEMIX Dollar to USDC.e or exchange USDC.e for another stablecoin, such as USDC.

A Wemade official explained, "Although WEMIX Dollar is inherently stable as a stablecoin, its connection to USDC will make it even more stable as integration channels increase. We're currently considering how to utilize USDC.e within the WEMIX ecosystem."

The industry expects that as stablecoins further develop the economic ecosystems in blockchain games, more users will join. Minwoo Park, Lead Researcher at Chainalysis Korea, a blockchain data platform, stated, "For the blockchain gaming industry to grow, activation of the economic ecosystem is key, and stablecoins can drive that growth. For users planning to invest in the blockchain ecosystem long-term, holding assets in stablecoins is reassuring, and more importantly, it allows them to immediately connect real-world value with value inside blockchain games, boosting economic activity."

Experts also believe stablecoins will have a positive impact on activating the blockchain game ecosystem. Seokjin Hwang, a professor at Dongguk University Graduate School of International Information Security, said, "The gaming industry is one of the sectors in which Korea is globally competitive among K-content. If stablecoins are introduced, anyone worldwide can make purchases of items, etc., without worrying about fees, boosting fundraising capabilities. This can lead to greater user acquisition, and stablecoins can continue to guarantee asset liquidity."

Reporter Subin Park, Hankyung.com waterbean@hankyung.com