Introduction

The 2$ billion esports industry is broken and we are here to fix it!

Hopae is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (‘BIPA’) to deliver an esports participant authentication system utilizing blockchain-based decentralized identity (DID) technology at the Busan Esports Stadium.

This initiative marks the first global application of DID technology within the esports sector, and aims to streamline player registration and authentication processes, reducing administrative burdens and costs, and improving the efficiency of tournament operations.

Unlike regular sports tournaments and leagues, esports are often conducted in the online space, where it can be difficult to verify who is playing the game. To guarantee the integrity, security and fairness of esports competitions, esports organizers need effective mechanisms for player identification and authentication. However, current processes for verifying players’ identities tend to be slow, cumbersome, and inconsistent across different competitions, leading to high operational costs for esports organizers, fragmentation of player data, and prize money not being paid to participants.

In this article we discuss the key benefits of using our next-gen solution for esports organizations.

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Lowering Operational Costs

Currently, there are about 200 esports competitions held annually in Korea, but the absence of a unified certification system means that esports players must repeatedly fill out separate application forms for authentication. This procedure creates significant resource and cost burdens for the organizers who must manage this information.

Using our decentralized identity technology, esports organizations can now manage identity verification for participants on a centralized and unified system, allowing them to manage participant data across multiple tournaments and platforms without the need for repetitive verification processes. Our solution greatly reduces the time and resources esports organizers spend on manual verification and registration processes.

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Preventing Data Fragmentation

Thousands of players participate in local and national esports competitions, yet the record of their activities is fragmented and unaccessible for esports organizations. This makes it more difficult for organizers to quickly verify player eligibility, track performance history and progress, and manage player registrations effectively.

Hopae’s DID technology addresses the issue of data fragmentation by establishing a unified, interoperable identity for each esports player that is reusable across multiple esports competitions, both nationally and internationally. Our solution will ensure that player data is centralized, secure, and easily accessible for esports organizers.

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Instant Distribution of Prize Money

Current processes for verifying player identities, involving manual reviews or additional documentation requirements, are typically slow and can introduce delays of several months into the prize pool payout timeline. Security measures such as fraud detection add an extra layer of complexity, as each transaction needs to be thoroughly verified before player rewards are released. Esports organizations may also have limited resources or staff dedicated to handling payout requests, which can result in longer processing times.

Using Hopae’s reusable identity solution, esports organizations can mitigate this issue by integrating verified bank accounts and using escrow systems to ensure financial transactions are secure and transparent. Using our DID technology, esports organizations can speed up the process for paying prize money to participants tenfold.

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Why Busan?

Busan is internationally regarded as the capital of esports. It regularly hosts major esports tournaments, including international championships that draw thousands of spectators from around the world. The city has also made substantial investments in esports infrastructure, such as the Busan Esports Arena, a state-of-the-art facility which was designed specifically for hosting large-scale esports events.

By strategically partnering with BIPA in Busan, we aim to establish the gold standard for player authentication in esports. Capitalizing on Busan's status as the epicenter of esports, our aim is to expand our solution globally.

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Expected Outcome

The innovative authentication system developed by Hopae is poised to significantly streamline the identity verification process, reducing costs by more than 95%. This substantial cost reduction will empower esports organizations to lower the financial barriers associated with organizing competitions, making it more accessible for a wider range of hosts. Consequently, these savings can be redirected towards enhancing core aspects of esports events, including increasing player prize pools and enriching the overall fan experience. By investing more in these key areas, organizations can not only elevate the quality and appeal of their events but also foster greater engagement and satisfaction among participants and spectators alike.

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Hopae Provides Solutions

Hopae is a leading digital identity provider dedicated to providing its customers with the most secure, reliable, and user-friendly digital identity and authentication solutions available. The team has already proven the potential of decentralized identity technology through COOV, a COVID-19 vaccination certificate app with 43,000,000 monthly active users. Leveraging such success, Hopae is providing the next generation of digital identity solutions.

Looking to modernize your verification processes? Let’s talk!

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Link to press release [in Korean]: https://www.thisisgame.com/webzine/game/nboard/225/?n=188500