Performances
Comparison
About LINE NEXT
LINE NEXT is the Web3 subsidiary of LINE Yahoo, operating the Unifi wallet and Unifi Pay payment infrastructure. Unifi is a non-custodial wallet embedded in the LINE app, allowing users to create an account with just their LINE credentials. Unifi Pay is a stablecoin payment system built on the Kaia blockchain, supporting JPYC (JPY), IDRP (IDR), and USDT.
Its core strength lies in leveraging LINE's massive user base across Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan, integrating Web3 wallets directly into a super app. This eliminates the need for separate app downloads or complex private key management. Unifi Pay offers zero transaction fees, approximately one-second settlement, and a 10-minute SDK integration, contrasting sharply with traditional card networks' 2-3% fees and T+1 settlement.
The market pain points addressed are high traditional payment costs, slow settlement, and the steep learning curve of existing Web3 wallets. Unifi lowers the entry barrier through LINE's familiar interface, while compliance for fiat on/off ramps is handled via Triple-A (Singapore-licensed) and SentBe, with local stablecoins catering to specific markets.
In the past six months (March to September 2026): Unifi wallet launched in March with JPYC adoption confirmed; in July, Unifi Pay was announced for global release in Q3 with developer pre-registration opened; in August, an MOU was signed with Eximbay, a seminar was co-hosted with PayLetter, and JPYC became usable for offline purchases in Korea via Unifi. Cumulative test-phase payment settlement reached 100 billion KRW (approximately $75 million).
Over the past half year, LINE NEXT accelerated building its stablecoin ecosystem:
On March 9, 2026, it globally launched Unifi (formerly the Unify Project), a non-custodial stablecoin wallet embedded in LINE Messenger, supporting USDT with 4%–5% annual yield and one-click social login.
On June 22, it rolled out Unifi mini for Japan as a LINE Mini App supporting JPY stablecoin JPYC, becoming Japan's No.1 JPYC circulation service within one month.
On July 1, it announced Unifi Pay, a stablecoin payment infrastructure slated for global launch in Q3 2026, supporting USDT/JPYC/IDRP with zero fees and ~1-second settlement, opening developer pre-registration.
On July 22, it globally launched NEXT Bay, a game item trading platform with escrow-based secure transactions, supporting 6 languages and Unifi account registration.
Official future focus: expand support for more countries' stablecoins, extend Unifi into real-world payment use cases, and evolve into a global virtual asset hub; also integrate stablecoin rewards into daily apps via partnerships such as GMO Media.
No co-founders (LINE NEXT is a wholly-owned subsidiary of LINE Corporation, founded in Nov 2021).
Key executives:
Youngsu Ko (CEO): Former CPO of LINE App Products; leads LINE NEXT since its establishment.
Jaehyung Choi (CFO): CFO of LINE NEXT and LINE Xenesis; 20+ years in fintech/payments; launched LINE Pay and Bitmax.
Taewon Kim (Head of Web3 Business / Asset Strategy): Led Dapp Portal to 20M+ users; onboarded 100+ partners; currently building stablecoin neobank Unifi.