Taiwan-based notebook giant Acer has announced that it will invest in blockchain startup Starbit Innovation to make a foray into the non-fungible token (NFT) market and be positioned as a leader at the forefront of the digitization of the industry.
In 2018, Starbit took the lead in launching the first decentralized exchange "STARBIT EX" in Asia. Starbit founder and CEO Sway Teng was involved in the promotion of Taiwan's security token offerings (STO) before he established the company in 2017.
Last year, Starbit introduced its "Jcard" NFT platform, the first blockchain-based digital asset issuance and exchange platform in Asia. The service items of the platform include digital art, collectibles, game products, and other blockchain-based assets.
Acer's subsidiary Acer Gadget teamed up with Starbit in early 2022 to sell click-and-mortar merchandise for the movie "Say Yes Again" on Jcard. The NFT products include movie posters, GIF stickers, and selected clips from the movie, while the physical products include bracelets that can be used as EasyCards for commuting purposes.
Acer pointed out that NFT is a good opportunity for the art industry to go digital and that artworks can be displayed in both physical and virtual settings. By utilizing Starbit's blockchain experiences, Acer can make a foray into the blockchain and digital art markets more easily, the company said.
Acer founder Stan Shih recently pointed out that 2022 will be the first year of the metaverse development. While Taiwan-based tech firms are actively developing AR/VR wearables, Shih said innovative content is where the greatest value lies in the future. He believes that Taiwan is already playing an important role in developing metaverse-related hardware and that young Taiwanese should be encouraged to participate in the creation of the next-generation digital content.
