When you mention the Japanese Crypto market, what do you think of? Is it a holder who is keen to buy small two-dimensional pictures, or is it the breakthrough participation of traditional manufacturers such as Sony and Bandai, or the star-studded projects such as Jasmy and Oasys?
Due to the inconvenience caused by language, Chinese people know little about the encrypted world across the sea, and most of the excellent project parties and hidden wealth codes are often ignored by people. Recently, Odaily had the honor to invite Shibo Yoshida, the founder of Hashport Group, to accept an exclusive interview. In the QA, Yoshida World Expo introduced the development history of Hashport and the current status of the Japanese blockchain game market, and also introduced in detail the new products that will be launched in the future. Mystery.
1. About HashPort Group
Odaily: Could Mr. Yoshida introduce himself and the development history of HashPort Group?
Yoshida Expo:I founded the current HashPort in 2018 and have been working in the blockchain field until now. Before joining HashPort, I worked as a consultant in the Tokyo office of Boston Consulting Group. In 2016, when I was sent to work in Shanghai as the youngest Venture Architect (investment officer) in the Tokyo office of Boston Consulting Groups digital investment department BCG Digital Ventures, I was shocked by the expansion of the blockchain industry and began to believe in blockchain technology. The chain will be as popular as the Internet across the world.
Having said that, when I came back to Japan and wanted to work on blockchain-related projects, in January 2018, the Coincheck incident unfortunately happened, which dampened public enthusiasm for blockchain. (Odaily Note: Coincheck, a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, was hacked, and NEM worth 58 billion yen was stolen, so it was severely condemned by the government.) At that time, even within the Boston Consulting Company, they wanted to put forward a proposal involving the blockchain It is also more difficult.
But now that the blockchain industry is in decline, isnt it a good time for blue ocean entrepreneurship? So I left BCG in 2018 and founded HashPort, Inc. in July of the same year. Currently, HashPort provides digital platform services including Web3 wallet platform and SoulBound Token. At the same time, the company also provides related Web3 technology services to traditional customers such as Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Toyota Motor.
In March 2020, HashPort also established HashPalette Co., Ltd. as a subsidiary of Layer 1 blockchain. The company and Coincheck launched the first IEO in Japan approved by the Japan Financial Services Agency, with a total issuance of about 900 million yen and attracted applications of about 22.4 billion yen. The native token of the blockchain network Palette Chain, which is listed on five Japanese exchanges including Coincheck and Bitflyer, has never been lower than the IEO price so far. At the same time, HashPalette also operates PLT Place, one of Japans largest NFT trading platforms, with 370,000 registered users, and has an in-house studio team dedicated to X to Earn product development.
2. About the Japanese Web3 market
Odaily: Compared with overseas countries, the compliance level of the Web3 industry in Japan is stricter. What efforts has HashPort made in this regard?
Yoshida Expo:HashPort is a pioneer in the Japanese Web3 industry and the first company in Japan to conduct encrypted asset financing under the review of the Japan Financial Services Agency. As far as I know, the company is also the Web3 company with the highest valuation and the largest number of employees in Japan other than the encrypted asset exchange.
Our company has also established an administrative department and a team including several in-house lawyers to conduct business strictly in accordance with Japanese laws and set an example for other Web3 companies in Japan. I am also a board member of the Japan Crypto Assets Business Association (JCBA), leading the rule-making work for the Japanese Web3 industry.
Because of this, HashPort became the only Web3 company on the list of 100 startups with a record of cooperation with the government released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and was named as a digital wallet provider for the Osaka/Kansai Expo 2025.
Odaily: How is the development of blockchain game-related industries in Japan?
Yoshida Expo:Here we need to first discuss the challenges faced by the development of blockchain game-related industries.
First of all, the user threshold in this industry is relatively high. Current Blockchain games often require knowledge of blockchain technology and crypto-assets, which may be considered difficult for the average user because they involve more steps than traditional games, such as setup. Wallets, understanding transactions and paying gas costs, and more.
Second, a certain degree of general education is required. At present, information about the many benefits of blockchain technology, such as security and player rights, is not fully disseminated throughout the industry. This makes it difficult for players to build a foundation of trust in blockchain games, and it also leads to concerns about risks such as fraud and counterfeiting.
In addition, there are problems in legal supervision. Many countries are regulating blockchain and crypto-assets, and doing business requires adapting to this situation and complying with changing laws. Especially in Japan, from the current legal perspective, it is ideal to create It is easy to have a gap between the current Blockchain game and the feasible Blockchain game in reality.
Next, in order to cause a wave of promotion, I think there are several aspects that can be started:
First, improve user experience. Developers need to develop wallets and gaming platforms with intuitive interfaces and easy-to-use to reduce people’s sense of alienation caused by the complexity of blockchain technology and create an ideal environment where ordinary users can easily join the game.
Second, spread through cooperation. Collaborations with existing big companies and brands will help spread the appeal and potential of blockchain games widely.
Third, participation. Games where players receive real rewards and real incentives have the potential to generate higher levels of engagement than traditional games. This will be a big factor in attracting new users and investors.
All in all, the popularity and success of blockchain games in Japan depend not only on technological progress, but also on the improvement of user experience, market education, and industry-wide cooperation. In THE LAND, which HashPalette is slated to release this year, we will focus on the user experience, making the game a natural choice for new blockchain users. Please stay tuned!
3. About the upcoming new projects
Odaily: Can you briefly introduce THE LAND?
Yoshida Expo:Speaking of THE LAND, we are taking on the challenge of creating a Play-to-Earn Metaverse game that complies with Japanese regulations.
Our design concept is Metaverse with Destination, designed around three specific elements, namely farming, socializing and creating, in pursuit of a deeper and unique gaming experience.
The first element is planting. It incorporates a system where players can earn tokens by growing crops and developing cities. Under the premise that players do not make money, this system can also obtain a certain amount of income only through the effort and time spent in the game.
The second element is social. The game provides a complete set of mechanisms, such as competitions, cooperative games and real-time chat, so that players can enjoy the game together. In this way, we aim to create a community of players derived from the game.
The third element is creation. Based on cooperation with external creators and partners, THE LAND allows partners to provide and develop original content in the game. This is an important step in the continued development and diversification of the game, and is also the projects policy to ensure that players continue to have new experiences.
In general, the goal of THE LAND is not just to become a game that everyone loves, but to become a product that can use the new generation of digital technology to bring a new lifestyle.
Odaily: Compared with traditional blockchain games, what innovations does THE LAND have in terms of gameplay and economic system?
Yoshida Expo:We have introduced many innovative gameplay methods into the three elements of planting, socializing, and creation just mentioned.
First of all, in terms of planting, players can obtain corresponding tokens based on the cultivation status of crops and the development level of the town. Even players who haven’t purchased the NFT can earn money by playing the game for free. Whether you are an ordinary game player who is free to play and spends a moderate amount of money, or a player who purchases NFT with the goal of spending a lot of money, you can experience the fun from the game. At the same time, the economically sustainable ecosystem established by realizing resource recycling in this game with various types of players is also a major innovation of ours.
Secondly, in terms of social interaction, we have added many functions that can enhance communication between players. In-game social communication is not limited to games, but can even become a daily routine for most players. Therefore, a new world will be born for peoples daily lives, and this unified metaverse space will continue to expand.
Finally, regarding creation, we will achieve a semi-permanent provision and development model of featured content and games by cooperating with external developers and partners. Through this model, the game can continuously evolve. Developers and players can also have more experience. This is also the biggest advantage that makes this game different from other projects.
4. Specific details about the new project
Odaily: The three cores of THE LAND are socialization, planting and creation. How are these three organically combined?
Yoshida Expo:Based on what has been introduced before, it can be said that the core of the game is planting. When players start the game, the first part they come into contact with is planting. Continuously develop and expand the size of the town by growing crops, and some social elements will gradually be added to it. For example, at the beginning, there will only be single-player planting, but as the game progresses, you can plant with other people in the later stage, and the opportunities for communication continue to increase, and thus a community is formed. In the process of community development, through the continuous creation of partners and developers, new planting experiences will continue to be produced and the expansion of social scale will continue to be accelerated. The enhancement of these new experiences and exchanges can continue to promote the production of new content, and the project as a whole can achieve positive cycle development and growth.
Odaily: THE LAND introduces three tokens. How do these three tokens cooperate with the games economic system?
Yoshida Expo:Strictly speaking, the functions of these three tokens are different, one is encrypted assets, one is in-game recharge currency, and the other is in-game currency. These three different tokens support the in-game economic system and are interrelated and cyclical. The specific names of the three tokens are ELF tokens, EAU gold coins and EAG silver coins.
ELF tokens can be used for a variety of purposes, including trading on market platforms, being used as staking in games, and participating in governance. By holding this token, players can have certain influence and enjoy privileges in the game.
EAU gold coins are tokens used to purchase recharge items and gashapons. It can also be used to promote crop growth and purchase character clothing and facilities. EAU gold coins can assist in the acquisition of ELF tokens and play an important role in the progress of the game.
Finally, EAG silver coins, as the in-game currency, can be used for facility construction and prop purchase, and transactions between players promote in-game economic exchanges.
The three tokens are interrelated. In order to obtain ELF tokens more effectively, it is necessary to make reasonable use of the effect of EAU gold coins and use EAG silver coins for transactions between players. This requires players to carry out various activities in the game while maintaining economic balance.
Odaily: The white paper on the official website mentions the Master NFT issued in conjunction with the game. Could Mr. Shibo Yoshida briefly introduce the function of the Master NFT? Will there be other empowerments in the future?
Yoshida Expo:Master NFT can be used in the auxiliary system that allows the Master to work. In addition, different skills can also provide benefits such as speeding up work efficiency and increasing crop yields. There is an upper limit on the number of auxiliaries that can be used. The higher the rarity of LAND, the more Master NFTs that can be used. You can also use it on your own character in the game to turn your character into your favorite master.
As the game is updated, other features will be added in the future, so stay tuned.
Odaily: Will THE LAND consider cooperating with relevant Web2 companies in the future to better promote the game?
Yoshida Expo:Yes, we are interested in working with Web2 companies.
After all, blockchain games are an emerging field, and the number of relevant old players is very small. Therefore, we must attract new players and expand the number of players by cooperating with web2 companies. Web2 Enterprises is very experienced in advertising and marketing. Through cooperation, it can better establish a publicity strategy to expand the appeal of the game.
At the same time, Web2 companies also have deep knowledge in improving player investment. It is hoped that by providing activities and gameplay in the game, as well as strengthening communication, we can create a game environment that players can play for a long time and continue to love.
I believe that after integrating the knowledge of Web2 and the technology of web3, we will be able to provide a more attractive game environment.
