(PRESS RELEASE – Seoul, South Korea, November 5, 2026)
With a phased rollout planned for the first half of 2027, the service is expected to connect LINE FRIENDS’ online and offline commerce to the Web3 ecosystem, providing customers in Korea and abroad with an additional payment option for purchasing physical products with minicoin.
IPX Digital IP Entertainment Company (formerly LINE FRIENDS) plans to introduce a payment service using “minicoin” in LINE FRIENDS online and offline stores. The service is intended to make digital asset payments a seamless extension of the fan experience, connecting fan engagement with character IP at the point of purchase and connecting IPX’s online and offline commerce to a Web3-based digital ecosystem.
For over a decade, IPX has brought its character IPs to life through products, content and pop-ups, extending these experiences across online and offline channels around the world. Leveraging its IP and retail expertise, the introduction of this service introduces a new IP-based digital commerce model that integrates digital asset payment technology into IP merchandise purchases.
Minicoin is a utility coin developed and issued by Mini Labs under an official license granted by IPX to use its globally popular “minini” character IP. Its blockchain-based ecosystem seeks to transparently record activities generated by interactions between IP and fans, including creation, consumption and transactions, and link them to registration and settlement processes.
The minicoin payment service is expected to be rolled out gradually to LINE FRIENDS stores in Korea and overseas, with deployment planned for the first half of 2027. The service is expected to provide international visitors and overseas fans with additional payment options. K-POP SQUARE, which opened in the heart of Seoul’s Hongdae district in June 2025, welcomed more than 1 million visitors in its first year, of which approximately 80% were international fans from more than 90 countries. As digital assets gain traction as payment methods around the world, the service is expected to see high demand.
“This service rollout marks an important step toward using digital assets to purchase physical goods, beyond commerce and use on specific platforms,” said an IPX official. “We believe the value of IP can further grow as it moves beyond connecting with fans through content and products to find new ways to interact with them across the digital IP ecosystem. We will continue to explore new IP business opportunities that connect IP, fans and commerce in this evolving landscape.”
About IPX (FKA LINE FRIENDS)
IPX is the new corporate name for LINE FRIENDS, a global character brand that began with original characters such as BROWN, CONY and SALLY, created for use as stickers for the leading mobile messaging app LINE and its 200 million active users worldwide. IPX announced a new business strategy to accelerate the global expansion of its IP businesses by diversifying its IP portfolios targeting all ages and advancing its digital and retail businesses. IPX offers various IP experiences, including BT21 (BTS), ZO&FRIENDS (G-DRAGON), minini and JOGUMAN. It has also carried out its IP-based businesses by partnering with global companies such as Netflix (original anime series) and HoYoverse (Genshin Impact) to capture the hearts of over 50 million Millennials and Generation Z worldwide. IPX currently operates in 18 markets worldwide, including Seoul, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Shanghai, and operates on 8 online sales platforms.
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