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| 2nd Forest, a virtual forest established on Dunamu's metaverse platform 2nd Block / Courtesy of Dunamu |
By Yoon Ja-young
The world is witnessing an infinite expansion through the metaverse, where barriers are being demolished and limitations are disappearing. Once regarded alien and unrealisitc, the metaverse has become an engine of future growth and energy that enriches our lives and enables the search for new possibilities.
At the forefront of this change is 2nd Block, the metaverse platform of the country's leading blockchain and cryptocurrency exchange operator Dunamu. Since its launch, 2nd Block has been leading the metaverse ecosystem, achieving notable innovations through cooperation with other sectors.
Most of all, 2nd Block bridged the generation gap by emerging as a new communication channel. The generation gap, which existed even in 1700 BC as seen in a Sumerian tablet containing the words, "young people these days," has been only widening in the modern age as the older generation suffers from a so-called "digital lag" while the amount of communication decreases.
As its user interface (UI) is based on 2D, which is more intuitive and simple, older generations, who are not familiar with digital based communication, can easily access the metaverse just like the digitally-savvy MZ generation. Anybody can easily understand the metaverse without studying it or going through a complicated procedure, and open up spaces or control avatars without difficulty.
The "Open Career Conference" held at 2nd Block in July is a recent example. Members of the older generation, who have already built up careers, and the younger ones, who are preparing to enter the job market, communicated freely with each other, sharing information and advice in the metaverse.
2nd Block also included a video chat function for the first time among metaverse platforms in the country, blurring the barrier between online and offline channels, while maximizing usability. The is leading to the trend of "ontact," which provides the art and culture industries, which had been hit by the protracted coronavirus pandemic, with exciting innovation.
Its cooperation with Kakao Entertainment in September opened up a new sphere in the content industry. Aiming for interaction between creators and fans, major settings in "The Villainess is a Marionette," a webtoon run on Kakao's webtoon platform, were built in the metaverse while the webtoon creator held a real-time fan meeting that attracted around 1,200 people.
2nd Block was also spotlighted in the entertainment industry for holding a live concert in the metaverse. Three indie music groups were featured in the concert in the 2nd Block metaverse, which also enabled communication between the artists and fans.
As there are no limitations in terms of time and space, the metaverse opened a new chapter for public campaigns too. 2nd Block established a new method of public participation, as its channeling technology allows up to 60,000 simultaneous users in a single space.
The most recent example is a tree-planting campaign. If a participant plants a virtual tree in the 2nd Forest, a virtual forest established within 2nd Block, two trees were planted in the real world ― in an area which had been devastated by wildfire. The five day event drew 28,000 participants, with 10,260 trees being planted.
2nd Block also signed an MOU with Doctors Without Borders to produce an accurate digital map essential for medical relief activities that go beyond borders. By using 2nd Block, many volunteers will be able to participate in the production of digital maps.
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