[Edaily An Yu-ri Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] “I am a blockchain fanatic.”

Jang Hyun-guk, CEO of NEXUS, described himself this way during an E-Daily interview held at the company’s headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, on the 30th of last month. When told that he is “known in the industry as a blockchain evangelist,” he instead chose to describe himself as a “fanatic.”

CEO Jang is recognized as the figure who has been driving Web3 and blockchain initiatives the longest in the domestic gaming industry. Having spearheaded the development of a blockchain gaming ecosystem with Wemix during his tenure as CEO of Wemade Co., Ltd., he has now founded NEXUS and is once again expanding his Web3 business.

Even as the gaming industry has been scaling back or halting Web3 initiatives one after another due to various regulations and market uncertainties, CEO Jang has remained steadfast in his direction for several years. The acquisition of One Store last July was also part of a strategy to leap forward as a global Web3 gaming platform.

CEO Jang views Web3 as an “inevitable future” that will eventually take hold, albeit over time. “I don’t know exactly when it will happen, but time will ultimately resolve everything,” he said, adding, “It’s actually a good thing that others aren’t doing this right now.”

He continued, “If major game companies like Nexon or NCSoft had jumped into the blockchain gaming business now, it would be difficult for us to win,” emphasizing, “We can establish a dominant position during this time when others aren’t doing it.”

Regarding the negative perceptions surrounding Web3 games, he pointed out that “most of it stems from misunderstandings.” CEO Jang explained, “Web3 games aren’t about cryptocurrency speculation; they’re about allowing users to own in-game items,” adding, “The current situation is arising from ignorance and misunderstanding.”

He continued, “Setting aside Web3 and cryptocurrency, why would users dislike the idea of owning their own in-game items?” He expressed confidence, saying, “I don’t know exactly when it will happen, but it’s not far off. We might even be the ones to open that market.”

“We’re the only web shop that supports stablecoins”

CEO Jang emphasized that the core of stablecoins lies not in who issues them but in their actual use, stressing that Korea should focus on “where they will be used” rather than “who will create them.”

“We are the only online store that supports both the Korean and global markets while offering a full range of payment options—from telecom carrier points to mobile payment services, bank transfers, mobile payments, and stablecoins,” he explained, adding, “The more payment methods available, the greater the user convenience and the greater the competitiveness of game companies.”

In particular, regarding stablecoin policies—which have recently been the subject of active discussion in Korea—he stressed that expanding actual use cases is more important than the issuing entity.

CEO Jang said, “Issuance isn’t what matters. It has to be used,” adding, “If I issue a stablecoin with my own money but no one uses it, it’s meaningless. Actual usage is far more important.”

He also expressed a critical stance toward the current stablecoin policies, which are centered on banks. CEO Jang pointed out, “USDT and USDC are also stablecoins created by private companies, not banks,” adding, “It’s hard to understand why we think only banks should issue them, given that the companies accounting for the majority of stablecoins worldwide are startups.”

CEO Jang said, “It’s true that anyone can issue a stablecoin as long as they provide 100% collateral,” adding, “There’s no reason why only banks should be allowed to issue them.” He emphasized, “The U.S. is already showing us the way,” and stressed, “It’s more important to create use cases and foster innovation than to focus on who issues the stablecoin.”

He also noted that NEXUS is already supporting stablecoin payments globally. CEO Jang said, “We already support USDT and USDD and are operating our own ecosystem dollar,” adding, “No matter what the policy outcome is, we are prepared.”

“Bitcoin Is Digital Gold… Its Long-Term Direction Is Clear”

The company has withdrawn its plan to establish a subsidiary in El Salvador, known as the “country of Bitcoin.” CEO Jang explained, “According to FATF (Financial Action Task Force) guidelines, El Salvador is classified as a country of concern for money laundering. We received advice that establishing a local subsidiary there could lead to significant burdens during audits and financial transactions, so we scrapped the plan,” adding, “We are currently considering establishing a U.S. subsidiary in the future.”

The company will maintain its long-term investment strategy for Bitcoin. Since last year, NEXUS has been pursuing a Bitcoin treasury strategy regardless of market conditions, and in February, it purchased Bitcoin, USDT (Tether), and CROSS using 13.3 billion won in funds secured through convertible bonds (CBs) and a capital increase.

CEO Jang said, “All assets will eventually be tokenized as digital assets,” adding, “Bitcoin will hold a symbolic status akin to gold within that ecosystem, and I expect it to reach $1 million within 10 years.”

Addressing recent concerns surrounding the Bitcoin treasury strategy, he emphasized, “We are taking a long-term approach to managing our surplus funds,” adding, “While we cannot predict short-term prices, we are confident in the long-term direction.”