Lotte Group Affiliate Daehong Communications' Giftiel Service on Aptos Blockchain Records Rapid User Growth

Executive Summary

Daehong Communications, an affiliate of Lotte Group, has integrated its mobile gift certificate service, Giftiel, with the Aptos blockchain, achieving substantial user growth and issuance volumes. In under three months, Giftiel on Aptos has facilitated the issuance of over 5 million gift certificates and attracted more than 1.3 million users. This initiative forms part of a strategic push to create a real-world, economy-based "Money Movement" ecosystem and explore broader blockchain applications within Lotte Group's extensive business portfolio.

The Event in Detail

Daehong Communications, an integrated marketing and advertising company and an affiliate of Lotte Group, partnered with the Aptos Foundation to integrate the high-performance Layer 1 Aptos blockchain with its Giftiel mobile voucher service. This integration aims to establish a "Money Movement" ecosystem, a blockchain-based framework designed to track and verify the creation, transfer, and usage of digital assets such as mobile vouchers, loyalty points, mileage, and stablecoins in the real economy. All transaction histories for Giftiel vouchers, from issuance and distribution to redemption, are now recorded on-chain, providing transparent ownership and traceability for users and precise operational insights for businesses.

During its soft launch phase, and within three months of integration, Giftiel has already seen the issuance of over 5 million vouchers and onboarded more than 1.3 million users. The platform is designed to offer a frictionless user experience, allowing consumers to utilize blockchain-backed services without directly interacting with cryptocurrency tools or wallets. Real-time blockchain data for Giftiel is accessible through the Aptos explorer, developed and operated by Web3 solutions provider Xangle.

Business Strategy & Market Positioning

Daehong Communications' move represents a strategic commitment to leveraging blockchain technology for enhanced digital asset management and customer engagement. The initiative extends beyond simple benefits, aiming to provide users with transparent ownership and management of their digital coupons. Kang Tae-ho, Head of the Future Growth Division at Daehong Communications, stated that the project seeks to "drive various innovations to increase the utilization of digital assets in the real economy and contribute to the mainstream adoption of Web 3.0."

This integration positions Aptos as a key infrastructure provider for large-scale enterprise blockchain solutions. Aptos' technical capabilities, including its capacity for high throughput and low latency, are critical for supporting real-world financial systems and scaling to a vast user base. Solomon Tesfaye, Chief Business Officer of Aptos Labs, noted that "The early results from Giftiel's integration with Aptos show how blockchain delivers tangible business value and real-world impact at scale." He further emphasized that Aptos provides "proven, enterprise-grade infrastructure to innovate with confidence and capture opportunities in the digital economy." The tokenized voucher rollout is an initial step, with Daehong confirming plans to expand the "Money Movement" ecosystem to support points, digital assets, and stablecoins across Lotte Group's broader operations, which span retail, hospitality, and finance.

Market Implications

The successful deployment and rapid adoption of Giftiel on the Aptos blockchain serve as a significant case study for the integration of blockchain technology into traditional business sectors. This development signals growing confidence in the use of high-performance Layer 1 blockchains for large-scale enterprise applications, potentially boosting the utility and adoption of the Aptos ecosystem and attracting further institutional interest in Web3 solutions. The frictionless user experience, which abstracts away direct interaction with crypto tools, lowers entry barriers for mainstream consumers, facilitating broader Web3 adoption.

The broader context of blockchain development in South Korea, as highlighted at the "Global Blockchain Forum — Korea 2025," underscores a national push towards Web3 innovation. Discussions at the forum, involving South Korean Congressman Min Byoung-Dug and the Korea Blockchain Industry Promotion Association (KBIPA), focused on the transformative potential of blockchain for the trust system and the digitization of Real-World Assets (RWA) as a core of future finance. The proposed "RWA + STO × Stablecoin" model and upcoming "Three Digital Asset Acts" indicate a supportive regulatory environment for industrial innovation in the digital asset space. This regulatory clarity and industry-wide momentum could further accelerate enterprise blockchain initiatives in the region, mirroring Daehong Communications' strategic moves.

Expert Commentary

Kang Tae-ho, Head of the Future Growth Division at Daehong Communications, emphasized the project's objective: "This project aims to provide users with a new digital experience that goes beyond simple benefits, allowing users to own and transparently manage their coupons. Building on the blockchain integration of Giftiel, we will drive various innovations to increase the utilization of digital assets in the real economy and contribute to the mainstream adoption of Web 3.0."

Solomon Tesfaye, Chief Business Officer of Aptos Labs, highlighted the broader significance of the integration, stating, "The early results from Giftiel's integration with Aptos show how blockchain delivers tangible business value and real-world impact at scale." He added, "Around the world, enterprises are adopting blockchain technologies—stablecoins, tokenized assets, and more—to reimagine customer experiences and operations. As one of the world's leading blockchains, Aptos provides Korean companies like Lotte with proven, enterprise-grade infrastructure to innovate with confidence and capture opportunities in the digital economy."

At the "Global Blockchain Forum — Korea 2025," Min Byung-deok, a member of the 22nd National Assembly of South Korea, noted that blockchain is reshaping the trust system, with the digitization of Real-World Assets becoming central to future finance. KIM Hyeong-Joo, Chairman of KBIPA, stressed the importance of international cooperation in the borderless blockchain field. Czhang Lin, head of LBank Labs, identified crypto ETFs, enterprise crypto asset allocation through DAT strategies, and low-cost, transparent SPACs as key opportunities for integrating Web3 with traditional finance, providing a bridge for projects to access traditional financial markets.