IPX to Accept minicoin Payments at LINE FRIENDS Stores from First Half 2027
IPX, formerly LINE FRIENDS, plans to let customers pay for physical merchandise with minicoin at its online and offline stores, with a phased rollout targeted for the first half of 2027. The service would give international fans a digital-asset payment option at a time when IPX's Seoul flagship drew over one million visitors in its first year.
Written by CoinArticle’s AI Newsroom · from 2 cited sources. How we work
What IPX Announced
Digital IP entertainment company IPX, formerly LINE FRIENDS, plans to accept minicoin payments at its online and offline stores, according to a company announcement carried by Chainwire and reported by CryptoPotato and ZyCrypto. The rollout is planned in phases across stores in Korea and abroad, with the first half of 2027 as the target window.
The two reports describe the plan the same way on its core points. Minicoin is a utility coin issued by Mini Labs under a license from IPX to use its 'minini' character. The company says the blockchain-based system is meant to record activity between IP and fans, including creation, consumption and transactions, and link those records to registration and settlement.
Market Scale and Demand Claims
IPX points to K-POP SQUARE in Seoul's Hongdae district, which opened in June 2025, as evidence of demand. According to the announcement, the venue drew more than one million visitors in its first year, with roughly 80% of them international fans from more than 90 countries. The two reports agree on the visitor total and the 80% figure. The company has not disclosed how many of those visitors would be expected to use minicoin, and neither source gives a sales or transaction forecast.
The company's wider footprint is also consistent across both reports. IPX says it operates in 18 markets, including Seoul, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Shanghai, across eight online sales platforms. It lists BT21 (BTS), ZO&FRIENDS (G-DRAGON), minini and JOGUMAN among its IP properties, and cites partnerships with Netflix and HoYoverse, saying it reaches more than 50 million Millennial and Gen Z fans. The 200 million active user figure for the LINE messenger app, which the original characters were built for, appears in both reports as background.
Source Differences and Open Questions
The two reports differ mainly in framing. CryptoPotato's version describes the service as a way to link fan engagement and Web3 commerce and gives a fuller account of how the IP's business expanded. ZyCrypto's version is shorter and drops some corporate background. The reports do not contradict each other on any number, but they do not add facts beyond the company's own statement. The 2027 timing is a target, and the phased structure means the initial store list, supported currencies and transaction limits have not been published in either source.
The IPX official's quote, which appears in both reports, frames the move as a step beyond trading and in-platform use of digital assets toward buying physical goods. Both reports present that as the company's own view. Neither includes independent commentary, regulatory filings or on-chain data on minicoin's current circulation.
Why It Matters
For Traders
No minicoin trading or listing details were disclosed, and the rollout is not until 2027, so there is no near-term price catalyst to act on.
For Investors
A major IP retailer embedding a licensed utility token in physical commerce would be a notable test of mainstream payment demand, though the timeline is long and unproven.
For Builders
Licensed IP tokens that record fan activity on-chain, paired with retail settlement, create integration patterns for brands and payment rails to study.
This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.
