PUBLISH

Blockchain Media Technologypublishinc.io

PUBLISH is a Seoul-based Web3 technology company building a blockchain ecosystem—consortium chain, decentralized identity, NFT marketplace, read-to-earn widget, and an AI-powered news app—for Korean news publishers, media organizations, and cultural institutions.

Company typePrivate
Founded2018
HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingSoftware

What PUBLISH does

PUBLISH, Inc. is a Seoul-headquartered Web3 technology company founded in October 2018 by Sonny Kwon. It builds a multi-product blockchain ecosystem purpose-built for the news media industry, anchored on a media-specific consortium blockchain (PUBLISH chain), a self-serve read-to-earn web widget (PUBLISH link), a W3C-compliant decentralized identity solution with integrated wallet (PUBLISH iD), a B2B NFT brokerage marketplace (PUBLISH mint), and an AI-driven personalized news aggregation app with Web3 rewards (News Thomas, launched July 2023). The supporting stack also includes PUBLISH wallet, PUBLISH chat (Web3 commenting with token rewards), PUBLISH soft (CMS), PUBLISH fact (blockchain-anchored news verification), the PINT research institute, and the PUBLISH ESG Center.

PUBLISH firmographics

Firmographics

Name: PUBLISH
Legal name: PUBLISH, Inc.
Website: https://publishinc.io
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2018
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: PUBLISH is a Seoul-based Web3 technology company building a blockchain ecosystem—consortium chain, decentralized identity, NFT marketplace, read-to-earn widget, and an AI-powered news app—for Korean news publishers, media organizations, and cultural institutions.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

PUBLISH industry classification

Industry

Product category: Blockchain Media Technology
NAICS: Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120), Software Publishers (5132), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
SIC: Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
akta.pro primary industry: Digital Publishing Platforms (News/Magazines) (BPAMAJAE)
akta.pro secondary industries: Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications (MPACAIAG), Online Article & Blog Publishing Platforms (MPAJAMAF), Royalties, Rights & Revenue Management (on-chain royalties, splits, licensing, enforcement) (FSAPAFAC)

Keywords

Blockchain media platform
Web3 news rewards
Decentralized identity
NFT publishing tools
Token-based journalism

Where PUBLISH is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Seoul
HQ country: South Korea
HQ region: Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

PUBLISH business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Software
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

NEWS token ecosystem: NEWS token powers the entire PUBLISH ecosystem. Revenue generated through token economics including token sales, trading fees on exchanges where NEWS is listed, and value appreciation as ecosystem usage grows.
PUBLISH mint NFT services: B2B NFT brokerage platform for media companies to tokenize content and cultural assets. Services include minting, selling NFTs, and protecting copyright for media organizations.
PUBLISH link widget licensing: Web widget licensing to news publishers enabling token reward systems on their platforms. Publishers integrate the widget to engage readers and increase retention.
PUBLISH iD authentication services: Blockchain-based self-sovereign identity solution providing verification credentials to users and partner platforms

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Multi-year contract	B2B NFT minting and brokerage services

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

PUBLISH product offering

Product offering

Core offering

PUBLISH offers a Web3-based ecosystem for the news media industry, built on a proprietary consortium blockchain (PUBLISH chain). It provides publishers with a token-reward widget (PUBLISH link) to engage readers, a self-sovereign identity app (PUBLISH iD) for authentication, an NFT brokerage platform (PUBLISH mint) for content tokenization, and the NEWS cryptocurrency for reader rewards and journalist micropayments.

Product overview

PUBLISH is a global technology media company offering a comprehensive Web3-based ecosystem for the news media industry. The portfolio consists of PUBLISH chain (consortium blockchain for media), PUBLISH link (web3 reward widget for publishers), PUBLISH iD (blockchain-based identity solution with integrated wallet), PUBLISH wallet (dedicated NEWS token wallet), PUBLISH chat (web3 commenting addon), PUBLISH mint (NFT marketplace for media), News Thomas (AI-powered news aggregation with Web3 rewards), PUBLISH fact (blockchain-based fact-checking), and PUBLISH soft (content management system). The ecosystem is powered by the NEWS token, which enables reader rewards, journalist micropayments, and advertising transactions. Supporting infrastructure includes PUBLISH Institute for News and Technology (PINT) for research and PUBLISH ESG Center for sustainability services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

PUBLISH link: Web3-powered reward widget for news websites enabling readers to earn NEWS tokens for reading, sharing, and commenting.
PUBLISH iD
PUBLISH mint
News Thomas
PUBLISH wallet
PUBLISH chat
PUBLISH fact
PUBLISH Institute for News and Technology (PINT)
PUBLISH Alliance
PUBLISH ESG Center

Products and services

PUBLISH chain Consortium blockchain specifically designed for the media industry, powered by a high-performance blockchain consensus algorithm. Includes a native blockchain explorer for auditing transactions and is interoperable with other DID platforms and applications.
PUBLISH link Web3 reward widget for news publishers. Easy-to-integrate web widget that rewards users in NEWS tokens for reading articles, sharing content, and leaving quality comments. Includes a data dashboard for tracking token rewards history.
PUBLISH iD Blockchain-based self-sovereign identity (DID) mobile app. Provides secure identity verification, single sign-on (SSO) for multiple platforms, and integrated cryptocurrency wallet for NEWS token storage, with biometric authentication.
PUBLISH mint
News Thomas AI-powered news aggregation app with Web3 rewards. Provides personalized news experience using AI-driven recommendations, allows users to earn points convertible to NEWS tokens, and manage news subscriptions.
PUBLISH wallet Dedicated cryptocurrency wallet for NEWS tokens. Secured with biometric two-factor authentication, supports sending and receiving NEWS tokens with an intuitive user interface.
NEWS token Cryptocurrency token powering the PUBLISH ecosystem. Used for reader rewards, micropayments for journalists, and advertising space purchases. Migrated to BASE chain in PUBLISH 2.0 (previously on Ethereum ERC-20 and Luniverse LMT).
PUBLISH fact News verification platform leveraging blockchain technology and swarm intelligence to verify news authenticity. Features a patented fact-checking system, blockchain notarization, and incentivized fact-checking.
PUBLISH soft Content management system (CMS) for media companies. Provides tools for digital content management and publishing.

Quantifiable outcome

64 media partners with approximately 10 million Monthly Unique Visitors (November 2022)
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use PUBLISH

Customer profile

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

PUBLISH technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: Yes
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

PUBLISH partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

World Vision KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Launched Korea's first cryptocurrency donation platform partnership enabling donations in cryptocurrency
JTBC (Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Partnership for technological innovation, digital media business strategy, and digital content research and education. Development of blockchain-based system for viewers to submit news tips to be tokenized into NFTs.
IntellogateminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Joint investment with Lincrux. Partnership to expand crypto-ATM and payment terminal network across Asia. Intellogate operates tens of thousands of terminals across 25 countries.
PUBLISH Institute for News and Technology (PINT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Research institute focused on improving news ecosystem through technology. Plans to publish research reports, host forums and seminars, and provide training to media companies.
RISTI (Research Institute of Sustainable Technology & Innovation)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Joined PUBLISH-BDO Sunghyun initiative to build blockchain-based ESG service. RISTI specializes in Science, Technology and Innovation to help realize Sustainable Development Goals.
LincruxcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Strategic investment in kiosk solutions company with over 20,000 kiosks and 5 million monthly payment transactions. Partnership to develop blockchain-based O2O payments solution.
BDO SunghyuncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 December 2021Partnership to build blockchain-based ESG service capable of managing and trading carbon credits. BDO Sunghyun provides ESG expertise including management system design, carbon emissions management, and ESG reporting.
PUBLISH AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Blockchain media consortium with first cohort including Korea Herald, Investing.com, Al Bawaba, EconoTimes, and over dozen Korean media outlets. Association members include Korea Internet Newspaper Association and Journalists Association of Korea.
Kansong Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Contracted by Kansong Art Museum to implement technical solution for converting Haerye Edition of Hunminjeongeum to NFTs. Created series of 100 NFTs sold for cultural preservation.
NDSOFTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Strategic partnership entered in 2019 for platform development
WAN-IFRAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Association of News Publishers partnership. PUBLISH is featured on homepage with logo display indicating close association for industry credibility and reach in the global news publishing community.
Lambda256/LuniversecoreTechnology or IntegrationBlockchain-as-a-Service platform partnership to bring improvements to PUBLISH ecosystem. Lambda256 provides blockchain infrastructure supporting NEWS token on LMT chain.
Korea Press FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partner in PUBLISH ecosystem
KINAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partner in PUBLISH ecosystem
Journalists Association of KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partner with over 11,000 individual journalist members. Supports DID technology bringing transparency to media industry.
MarketLinkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService partner specializing in online market research panels and big data solutions

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

PUBLISH competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Regional players

Cointelegraph: Major crypto/blockchain media outlet with its own token and tokenized news products. Comparable to PUBLISH in combining a news publishing business with Web3 tokenization, though primarily English/global rather than Korean-focused.
Decrypt: Blockchain-focused news media that has experimented with Web3 reader monetization and NFTs. Comparable to PUBLISH in the news-plus-Web3 intersection, though with a different audience and English-language focus.

Direct peers

Steemit: Pioneer Web3 content publishing platform that rewards users with a native token (STEEM) for creating and curating content. Directly comparable to PUBLISH link's read-and-earn token model applied to news publishing.
Mirror.xyz: Web3-native long-form publishing platform built on Optimism with token-based publishing and NFT collectibles. Closely comparable to PUBLISH's combination of token rewards, NFTs (PUBLISH mint), and decentralized publishing rails.
Paragraph: Web3 newsletter and publishing platform with on-chain monetization, token rewards, and NFT drops. Comparable to PUBLISH link's widget-based publisher monetization on a token-incentivized model.
Civil: Blockchain-based journalism platform using a token-curated registry and a constitution to combat misinformation. Most directly comparable to PUBLISH fact's blockchain-based news verification and the overall mission of supporting quality journalism.

Broad incumbents

PressReader: Digital news distribution platform giving libraries and consumers access to thousands of newspaper and magazine titles. Comparable to PUBLISH as a digital news distribution layer serving publishers and readers, but in a centralized, non-Web3 model.
Brave (BAT): Privacy browser with the Basic Attention Token (BAT) that rewards users for viewing privacy-respecting ads, sharing ad revenue with publishers. Comparable to PUBLISH in tokenizing user attention and reader-publisher value flows, but at much larger scale.

Emerging players

Lens Protocol: Decentralized social graph on Polygon enabling tokenized content profiles and follows. Comparable architecture to PUBLISH iD's decentralized identity and PUBLISH link's tokenized social reading, with overlapping reader/creator economics.
Audius: Web3 music streaming platform with native AUDIO token rewarding listeners and artists. Analogous to PUBLISH in applying a token-incentivized engagement model to a content vertical (music vs. news) with similar publisher-relationship challenges.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

PUBLISH compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance3 records

PUBLISH financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

PUBLISH leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

PUBLISH subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

PUBLISH funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

PUBLISH M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PUBLISH

What does PUBLISH do?

Is PUBLISH a public or private company?

PUBLISH is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.

When was PUBLISH founded?

PUBLISH was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is PUBLISH based?

PUBLISH is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.

How does PUBLISH make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. NEWS token ecosystem is the primary driver. The others are PUBLISH mint NFT services, PUBLISH link widget licensing and PUBLISH iD authentication services.

Who are PUBLISH's main competitors?

Regional players on record are Cointelegraph and Decrypt. Direct peers are Steemit, Mirror.xyz, Paragraph and Civil. Broad incumbents are PressReader and Brave (BAT). Emerging players are Lens Protocol and Audius.

Does PUBLISH have an API?

Yes. PUBLISH link is described as an 'easy-to-integrate web widget' API that interfaces with a token-based reward system, allowing digital media companies to compensate news content consumers for actions such as reading articles, sharing articles, and leaving high-quality comments. PUBLISH chain states it is 'interoperable with other DID platforms and applications.' No dedicated API documentation portal or developer documentation was found in the source material.

What industry is PUBLISH in?

PUBLISH's product category is Blockchain Media Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAE, Digital Publishing Platforms (News/Magazines), with a secondary code of MPACAIAG, Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications. Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2711.