Kaia and Line Next said Monday they will jointly launch a stablecoin platform, aiming to set the standard for cross-border use of digital money as Asian countries prepare regulatory frameworks.
Tentatively named Unify, the app will merge stablecoin financial services with Line’s messenger features. A beta launch is planned this year, available both as a standalone Kaia-based app and as a Mini Dapp within Line messenger.
The app will function as a comprehensive stablecoin platform across Asia, supporting deposits, payments, transactions and conversion to and from local currencies. Deposits will earn rewards, and messenger integration will enable instant cross-border transfers. Offline payments will initially be supported through Visa’s network, with QR code payments to follow.
Unify will integrate stablecoins pegged to major Asian currencies, including the Korean won, Japanese yen, Thai baht, Indonesian rupiah, Philippine peso, Malaysian ringgit, Singapore dollar, as well as the US dollar, into a single platform.
Kaia said it will tap its 130 million existing wallets to support a smooth rollout. The user base has grown rapidly, reaching that milestone just eight months after the January launch of its Mini Dapp feature. Of those wallets, 60 million are active, which Kaia says makes it the most widely used blockchain in Asia.
Kaia framed the launch as part of its broader strategy to position itself as Asia’s next financial hub through stablecoins, a vision it has pursued since its 2024 creation through the merger of Kakao’s Klaytn Foundation and Finschia Foundation under Naver affiliate Line Tech Plus.
“Our core market will be Asia,” said Kaia DLT Foundation Chair Sam Seo, noting the region’s 5 billion people across 50 nations that account for 60 percent of global gross domestic product.
Seo said stablecoins can address Asia’s fragmented financial systems and high transaction costs. “We are uniquely positioned to integrate Asia’s highly fragmented payment infrastructure and promote cross-border financial inclusion,” he said.
Kaia is also developing a “stablecoin orchestration layer” that will create a unified ecosystem for issuance, distribution and usage across Asia.
Kim Woo-suk, Line Next’s director and chief strategy officer, underscored the accelerating momentum. “Stablecoins are not a passing trend but a structural shift,” he said. “By next year, the first stablecoins are expected to be issued in most Asian countries, and from that point, the pace of money’s digitalization will move to an entirely different level.”
jwc@heraldcorp.com
