Mirae Asset Securities, Near Protocol team up for blockchain techs

South Korea's Mirae Asset Securities announced on Thursday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for collaborative research in blockchain technology with the global blockchain network Near Protocol.

The Korean company stated that the purpose of this agreement is to strengthen the blockchain and Web 3.0 partnership and expand the scope of technical collaboration.

Near Protocol is a global blockchain network that provides developer-friendly tools and libraries to facilitate the easy development and deployment of decentralized applications (DApps). It has been rapidly growing, operating funds worth approximately 1.1 trillion won ($843 million) to fuel its network expansion.

Additionally, it has attracted investments from well-known blockchain-focused investment firms such as Coinbase Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Multicoin Capital.

Through this collaboration agreement, Mirae Asset Securities plans to engage in various forms of cooperation, including joint research with Near Protocol, development of domestic and international Web 3.0 networks and ecosystems and organizing events to enhance blockchain awareness.

The company aims to leverage the strong technological capabilities of Near Protocol and enhance its expertise and leadership in the blockchain-related financial industry.

Mirae Asset Securities intends to study and apply various successful cases from overseas to the domestic financial infrastructure through this partnership, solidifying its specialization in Web 3.0 within the domestic financial industry. Its long-term goal is to take a leading role in the globalization of South Korea's financial sector.

In addition, Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol, is known as an authority figure in the artificial intelligence industry. He has co-authored a seminal paper on natural language processing models, including ChatGPT, implying potential synergy not only in the blockchain field but also in the field of artificial intelligence.

Write to Bo-Hyung Kim at kph21c@hankyung.com