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In a recent interview with CoinDesk Korea, Marieke Flament, CEO of the Near Foundation, outlined Near's strategic vision for the open web, emphasizing gaming and finance as key drivers for achieving mass adoption.

As Near Foundation makes the leap to the next generation of the open web, the company has expressed its intention to focus on gaming and finance as key strategies for mass adoption.

Recently, In an interview with CoinDesk Korea, Marieke Flament, CEO of the Near Foundation, said that the organization will focus on partnerships in gaming and finance as its main strategy for mass adoption, in line with Near's philosophy as the next open web.

The Near Foundation is a Swiss non-profit foundation that oversees the governance and development of the NEAR Protocol, a blockchain project that builds a decentralized web ecosystem. Flament joined the Web3 industry in 2016 as Managing Director of Circle Europe, after working for leading global organizations such as LVMH, BCG, and Hotels.com. She has been CEO of the Near Foundation since 2021, and an actively female leader.

"We are in the midst of not only a climate crisis, but also a social media that divides people," says Flament. "The traditional web is a product of platforms, and we're just being used as an end product. The open web doesn't use users, it turns them into active participants with a philosophy of economics and incentives. Making open web a better web is the challenge and the future of Near."

The Open Web is an open-source and user-driven web. Web3 is a blockchain-based network environment that is decentralized and open to all information, making it a truly "open" web. It is a fundamentally different ecosystem from the Web2 environment, which was closed by existing platform companies. Therefore, in order to attract users familiar with the Web2 to the open web, a strategy is needed to move to the open web (Web3) considering the user experience (UX) of Web2.

To this end, the Near Foundation introduced the Blockchain Operating System (BOS) in March to apply the UX of Web2 to the Near ecosystem and make it easier for the public to access Near's web protocols. BOS is a blockchain-based operating system that serves as a common layer compatible with all blockchain platforms. With BOS, users and developers can launch and explore the "open web" and quickly access various gateways based on traditional servers.

We've also introduced FastAuth, a web login system that utilizes Web2 login methods. FastAuth is a secure and simplified login system that does not require a seed phrase or password for users unfamiliar with Web3 environments. While Near made a connection to Web 2 in terms of user interface (UI) and UX, it focused on gaming and finance in terms of content.

"Korea is the perfect market for technology and entertainment, with a very strong appetite for technology," she said. "Korea has a more developed gaming culture than any other country, so Near is investing heavily in strategic gaming partnerships. We are expanding our partnerships to include not only web3 indie games, but also large web2 game studios."

In March, Near Foundation announced a partnership with Korean game giant  including Marblex (Netmarble), Metabora (Kakao Games), Wemade and Vortex Gaming (Inven). In addition, Near Korea, the South Korean arm of Near Protocol, announced partnerships with Korean mobile game developer Hamthor and interchain platform HAVAH last month.

"While Near seems to be focusing on the gaming sector, for true mass adoption, open web needs to be practical. And that practicality is definitely finance." In June, the Near Foundation signed a strategic partnership with Korean securities firm Mirae Asset Securities to collaborate on Web3 projects. The two companies are conducting joint research on blockchain technology to build and lead the Web3 ecosystem in the financial industry. In addition, they will work together to establish a mutual support system to strengthen the Web2-Web3 business network.

"There are two types of web3 finance, one is DeFi and the other is CeFi, and considering that the CeFi market is down, we need to focus on DeFi," said Flament.

She stated, "There is a multitude of developments related to DeFi in the Near ecosystem, with numerous DeFi projects currently in operation. The financial realm within the open web is an area that Near should continue to foster." She went on to add that if regulatory authorities are prepared to embrace decentralized finance, widespread adoption of the DeFi market could also be feasible.

Flament pointed out that the innovation strategies of companies 10-20 years ago are not that far removed from what they are today, and Web3 will be the main business model for companies going forward.

She stated, "In the 2000s and 2010s, every company was talking about digital innovation and pondering online sales. Today, we're discussing Web3 and the metaverse," adding, "Observing the increasing adoption of blockchain in various industries, we can draw parallels with the past."