Alipay, an online payment platform, has joined forces with Avalanche, a smart contract blockchain platform, to create a voucher program using Web3 technology. The collaboration was announced on March 20, revealing that Alipay’s ordering solution, Alipay+ D-store, and its partnered e-wallets are utilizing Avalanche for the Web3-enabled voucher program.
This program was initially launched in Southeast Asian milk tea stores, where customers can acquire vouchers by playing a mini-game. Once the game is completed, customers can claim their vouchers in their e-wallets. These vouchers offer users discounts of up to 50% at over 500 milk tea shops.
The vouchers are powered by an Avalanche Subnet developed and managed by AvaCloud, the blockchain service. Avalanche aims to provide brands like Alipay with solutions powered by Web3 technology through these vouchers. Additionally, the program allows Alipay to collaborate with other brands by incorporating blockchain-powered features and digital collectibles.
The program is currently in the proof-of-concept (POC) stage, with plans to expand to more than 2,000 stores and introduce the vouchers to 100 million users.
Avalanche has been actively expanding its ecosystem in 2024 through partnerships with prominent brands. One notable partnership is with Sports Illustrated’s ticketing arm, SI Tickets, which allows Avalanche to host SI Ticket’s nonfungible token (NFT) ticketing platform, Box Office. This integration means that NFT tickets on the platform are now minted on the Avalanche network.
Furthermore, Avalanche has made strides in the gaming industry. On March 11, the platform announced that the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) MapleStory will expand into an Avalanche subnet, offering users opportunities for content generation.
In conclusion, Alipay’s collaboration with Avalanche to develop a voucher program using Web3 technology is a significant step towards integrating blockchain solutions into the online payment platform. This partnership not only benefits Alipay but also allows for collaborations with other brands and expansion into various industries, including ticketing and gaming.