Japan's Largest Telco NTT Digital Joins Injective as the Latest Validator

On October 8, 2024, NTT Digital, Japan's largest telecommunications company, officially joined Injective as a validator. 

NTT Digital is a part of the larger Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), one of the world's largest Fortune 500 companies.

“We're excited to join the Injective ecosystem as an official validator! Starting October 8, 2024, we look forward to contributing to a robust and dynamic network,” NTT Digital said in an announcement. “Ready to help drive innovation and security on one of the leading layer 1 blockchains with Injective.”

NTT Digital: A Major Player in Web3

NTT Digital is actively exploring various blockchain-related projects and partnerships in order to establish itself as a key player. In a recent announcement, the company stated its launch of web3 Jam, an initiative aimed at facilitating seamless corporate collaboration using blockchain.

As of May 22, 2024, NTT Digital reported receiving support from 14 companies for this project. The firm is committed to recruiting more partners to explore innovative co-creation opportunities that cross industry boundaries. 

Also, last June, NTT Digital joined the Linux Foundation Europe's OpenWallet Foundation (OWF) as another step toward enhancing its blockchain capabilities. This open-source initiative focuses on developing secure, interoperable multi-purpose wallets. 

Participating in the OWF reportedly allows NTT Digital to enhance international interoperability of digital wallets and expand its global service offerings.

Injective's Growing Validator Network

NTT Digital is not the only Japanese company to join Injective as a validator. On June 11, Gumi, a leading mobile gaming company, also became a validator for the Injective network. 

Gumi is known for its popular mobile games, such as Brave Frontier and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, and it has actively participated in blockchain initiatives. The addition of Gumi to Injective's validator set is significant, as it helps strengthen Injective's presence in Japan, a market where over five million users own cryptocurrency.

Injective is one of the largest proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains globally, primarily designed for finance but also focusing on enhancing security in blockchain gaming. 

The protocol recently launched the first-ever tokenized index for BlackRock's BUIDL Fund. With this, users can now access BlackRock's institutional liquidity fund through on-chain financial instruments. 

The BUIDL Fund, managed by BlackRock, offers institutional investors a yield on assets such as the U.S. Treasuries. The Fund manages more than $500 million in assets, making it the largest tokenized fund in the world so far.