Lotte’s affiliate, Daehong Communications, on the move in the blockchain realm under its “Money Movement” ecosystem established on Aptos. Is this a serious leap into decentralized finance (DeFi)? Or is it merely the next generation of the old loyalty program on steroids. Let's dissect this.
Aptos Blockchain: Hype or Substance?
Aptos positions itself as a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain, purposefully designed for speed and scalability. Okay, great. The blockchain ecosystem is full of projects with a lot of hype behind them. Aptos likes to boast of its Move programming language and parallel execution. Through these innovations, it promises transaction throughput that rivals established payment processor incumbents.
The reality? Though Aptos does look exciting and has some cool technology developed behind the scenes, it is indeed baby technology. But does it really have the battle-tested resilience to withstand the transaction volume of a multinational company like Lotte? This is the multi-million dollar question. Remember Solana? It had huge potential, with huge promises. But it couldn't handle the traffic. Will Aptos be any different?
Giftiel: Vouchers on the Blockchain?
Daehong’s Giftiel mobile voucher service is the first real-world application of this “Money Movement” vision. Five hundred thousand users, one million vouchers issued since July 2025. That makes for an impressive headline, but read between the lines.
Giftiel’s integration on Aptos ensures that end users can enjoy transparent ownership and traceability of vouchers, while allowing businesses to receive accurate and tamper-proof usage data. Isn’t all of this already doable with centralized databases?
The true value probably isn’t even in the passenger experience though, but in the automation opportunities and operational cost savings they may bring. Smart contracts can automate issuance, distribution, and redemption of vouchers to eliminate expensive intermediaries from the transaction process. This benefit should be considered alongside the robust cost of implementing and maintaining a blockchain-based system.
Daehong imagines evolving the “Money Movement” ecosystem to include customer rewards, commerce services and progress into stablecoin-related opportunities. This is where things get interesting, and maybe dangerous.
| Feature | Centralized System | Blockchain System (Aptos) |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | Limited | High |
| Traceability | Limited | High |
| Automation | Moderate | High |
| Operational Cost | Moderate | High (initial), Potentially Lower (long term) |
| Security Risks | Centralized Attacks | Smart Contract Vulnerabilities |
DeFi Integration: Necessary or Just Hype?
Adding DeFi features such as lending, borrowing, or yield farming into a loyalty program might be the key to opening massive value. Picture being able to accrue interest on your dormant Lotte points or collateralizing them to borrow a loan. This opens up a can of worms for added complexity and regulatory scrutiny.
I spoke with Alex Johnson, a blockchain security expert at CertiK, and he had this to say: "When you integrate DeFi into a traditional business model, you're essentially opening up a Pandora's Box. The potential rewards are high, but so are the risks. You need a team with deep blockchain expertise and a proactive security posture."
- Regulatory Hurdles: DeFi is a regulatory gray area. Lotte will need to navigate complex and evolving regulations to ensure compliance.
- Security Risks: DeFi is rife with hacks and exploits. Lotte will need to implement robust security measures to protect user funds.
This is more than a simple line of code insertion. That takes both a serious change in attitude and the adoption of regular security audits and risk assessment as standard practice.
At the end of the day, Lotte’s Aptos play will succeed or fail on execution. If they can navigate the technical and regulatory hurdles, they will be unlocking significant user and business benefits. This discovery would rock the very foundations of the environment.
Loyalty Points 2.0 or Real Revolution?
My guess is this approach is intended to drive attention to the strategy through media coverage. It makes Lotte look like a tech-forward, innovative company.
The reality is that Giftiel might just be loyalty points 2.0 on a new shiny blockchain. Only time will tell if Lotte can truly unlock the potential of DeFi and transform its loyalty program into something truly revolutionary.
The misleading question is not can Lotte do it, but rather should they. These risks are far from theoretical, the costs high, and the potential benefits largely speculative. As Lotte goes to ground, it needs to be careful, very careful, and focus on security and compliance first and foremost. Otherwise this might prove to be a hugely costly experiment in blockchain technology.
The real question is not whether Lotte can do it, but whether they should. The risks are real, the costs are significant, and the benefits are still largely theoretical. Lotte needs to proceed with caution and prioritize security and compliance above all else. Otherwise this could be a very expensive experiment in blockchain technology.
