Monex : Coincheck Labs Launched Supporting Start-ups Leading the Age of Web 3.0 in Crypto Asset and Non-Fungible Token Areas

Announcement of Subsidiary’s Release

TOKYO, January 28, 2022 – Coincheck, Inc., a subsidiary of Monex Group, Inc., issued the following press release today.

Attachment: Summary of Coincheck, Inc. press release

Coincheck Labs Launched Supporting Start-ups Leading the Age of Web 3.0 in Crypto Asset and Non-Fungible Token Areas

• STAKE TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD., developer of Japan-based public blockchain, Astar Network, selected as the first company to receive support from the program –

[Press Release]

January 28, 2022

Coincheck, Inc.

Coincheck Labs Launched Supporting Start-ups

Leading the Age of Web 3.0 in Crypto Asset and Non-Fungible Token Areas

• STAKE TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD., developer of Japan-based public blockchain, Astar Network, selected as the first company to receive support from the program –

Coincheck, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Satoshi Hasuo, hereinafter referred to as “the company”) is pleased to announce that it launched “Coincheck Labs” aimed at assisting start-ups who are to lead the age of Web 3.0, today. As part of this, STAKE TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD. (Head office: Singapore, CEO: Sota Watanabe), a start-up in the process of developing a Japan-based public blockchain, was selected as the first company to receive support from the program.

The distributed digital protocol based on blockchain technology is accelerating movement towards the age of Web 3.0 in the world and driving investments in start-ups seen to be leading this new age with crypto asset and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). In Japan, however, unclear accounting rules and laws in the realm of crypto asset and NFT, coupled with a lack of expert insights, hinders entrepreneurship in this area, resulting in a lower number of start-ups compared to overseas. To address this challenge, the company is stepping in to support start-ups in the crypto asset and NFT fields who have potential to lead the Web 3.0 age. Through Coincheck Labs, the company shares its experiences and expertise gained through the process of developing and operating its cryptocurrency transaction services, Coincheck, as well as its NFT marketplace, Coincheck NFT (β version).

Some of the applications in recent years, for example, DeFi which came to the forefront in 2020, and NFT, which grew rapidly in 2021, presuppose crypto asset as a natural protocol to transfer values, thus creating the new digital economy. At this turning point, the company wishes to contribute to the crypto asset and NFT areas in Japan, working with peers who are committed to taking on the challenge together.

Main Activities of Coincheck Labs:

Coincheck Labs assists the blockchain and Web 3.0 ecosystem in Japan thrive by supporting entrepreneurs, start-ups, and their communities who are focused on developing crypto asset-native and NFT-native products. Covering any products from Layer 1, the underlying architecture of blockchain, to applications, Coincheck Labs offers three stages of support including incubation, research, and investment.

1. Incubation

Supporting entrepreneurs, start-ups, and their communities that drive the growth of crypto asset and NFT industry in Japan. Advice on token design, finance, and accounting will be offered while hackathon and other events are organized.

2. Research

Conducting research and disseminating information on crypto asset, NFT, GameFi, and other blockchain trends.

3. Investment

Funding equities and tokens of start-ups who are developing crypto asset-native and NFT-native products.

About STAKE TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.

STAKE TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD. is developing Astar Network, a public blockchain from Japan. The Astar Network was selected as one of the connection points in the first parachain auction of Polkadot ecosystem, which aims to interconnect different blockchains for the foundation of Web 3.0, and became the third blockchain in the world to be connected to Polkadot.

Official website: https://stake.co.jp/