Arbitrum is making headlines by awarding its biggest developer grant ever to South Korea’s Lotte Group, and it’s all about taking metaverse gaming to a whole new level.
This partnership is set to boost Lotte’s AI-driven metaverse platform, Caliverse, by integrating Arbitrum’s blockchain.
Crypto payment integration
Announced at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, this collaboration showcases Arbitrum’s mission to bridge traditional industries with blockchain, and while the exact amount of the grant remains a confident information, it was given in Arbitrum’s native token, ARB.
This is a common move for the foundation to encourage growth within its ecosystem.
John Park, Arbitrum Foundation’s Head of Korea, couldn’t contain his excitement, calling Lotte the largest recipient of their grants so far.
This partnership builds on Lotte’s previous ventures into the metaverse that kicked off in 2022, and now with Arbitrum on board, users of Caliverse can look forward to smoother transactions and the ability to make crypto payments for services within the platform.
Faster, better
Caliverse isn’t just any metaverse, but it’s an AI-powered 3D playground where users can explore virtual worlds, shop until they drop, and engage with branded experiences from big names like 7-Eleven and Tomorrowland.
Kind of social VR, if you like that term better. Thanks to Arbitrum’s network, transactions will be quite fast with block times of just 250 milliseconds, perfect for keeping the gaming experience seamless.
Steven Goldfeder, CEO of Offchain Labs, the brains behind Arbitrum told that this integration will ensure that all in-game interactions are directly linked on-chain.
Lotte’s partnership with Arbitrum shows a renewed interest in metaverse projects, a sector that had its heyday before losing steam last year.
By combining blockchain tech with AI and virtual reality, Caliverse could become a blueprint for future metaverse platforms.
Seasoned players on the field
Also, this isn’t Arbitrum’s first rodeo in the metaverse either, because back in January 2024, they awarded a grant to AOFverse, another platform focused on enhancing on-chain experiences.
With a reported 72% growth year-over-year in 2024, Arbitrum is indeed a big name in the gaming sector, and the network now supports 119 gaming titles and 23 blockchain projects designed specifically for gaming through its Arbitrum Orbit stack, allowing developers to create custom blockchains tailored for gaming environments.
