Upbit might be quietly building one of the more interesting exchange-backed L2 ecosystems.
A lot of people seem to be overlooking GIWA.
GIWA Global Infrastructure for Web3 Access is Dunamu/Upbit's Ethereum L2, built on the OP Stack.
The setup is pretty interesting:
β 1-second block times
β EVM compatible
β Upbit/Dunamu operates the sequencer
β Optimism acts as the backup
β ETH is used for gas
β No official GIWA token has been announced
The bigger story is what sits around the chain.
GIWA is also building a wallet, on-chain identity/attestation through Dojang, privacy infrastructure through Bojagi, KRW/stablecoin payment rails, and GASOK, an accelerator designed to bring builders onto the ecosystem.
And the testnet is already seeing significant activity.
120M+ transactions
30.8M+ addresses
The official GIWA explorer now shows even higher cumulative testnet activity, so the network is clearly being used rather than sitting idle.
Thereβs also an important point about the funding numbers floating around CT.
I wouldn't treat the often-mentioned $143M GIWA raise as an official funding round.
The ~$10β11B figure being circulated refers to Dunamuβs company valuation, not money raised by GIWA itself.
In other words, this isn't a normal L2 launching with a VC/token fundraising story.
It is being built by the company behind one of Koreaβs largest crypto exchanges.
That changes the distribution angle.
If GIWA eventually gets pushed directly toward Upbitβs existing user base, the potential onboarding funnel is very different from a completely new chain starting from zero.
And GIWA is already building the ecosystem around it.
My GIWA watchlist
DeFi / Infrastructure
β’
@heronprotocol β DeFAI capital allocation
β’
@quadrixfinance β on-chain asset management / vaults
β’
@AmmoraHQ β programmable liquidity infrastructure
β’
@custosfinance β RWA-focused trading infrastructure
β’
@OsigeExchange β GIWA DEX + trading tools
β’
@CheomaYield_xyz β GIWA yield / DeFi
β’
@ZKProofport β zero-knowledge infrastructure
β’
@Hanok_io β on-chain contribution / rights infrastructure
β’
@kaachi_io β wallet-based marketing + rewards
β’
@GiwaterFinance β liquidity / DeFi infrastructure
Consumer / NFTs / Games
β’
@jumak_app β Joseon-themed pixel NFTs
β’
@pabalx β on-chain horse racing / social game
β’
@TileOnGIWA β GIWA NFT collection
β’
@PunkOnGiwa β CryptoPunks-inspired NFTs
β’
@elderwoodwiz β early GIWA NFT collection
β’
@GIWAUP β NFT / community project
β’
@Writ_Fi β fully collateralized on-chain options
Launchpads / Meme Economy
β’
@gasokfun
β’
@GIWAForge
β’
@GIWALAUNCHPAD
β’
@JoseonFun
β’
@hamrdotfun
β’
@Kimchifunxyz
β’
@GiwaPump
β’
@Gazuaxyz
β’
@memefab_fun
β’
@GiwaGasok
β’
@MapaeGiwa
Most of these are early-stage projects, so the watchlist is exactly that: a watchlist, not an endorsement.
AI / Social / Other
β’
@OreumLabs β on-chain information / curation
β’
@TheBingoFi β GIWA-focused GameFi
β’
@umul_giwa β GIWA messaging protocol
One thing I find interesting is that GIWA isn't only positioning itself as another L2.
The official roadmap connects the chain with wallet infrastructure, stablecoin payments, on-chain verification, and builder onboarding. GASOK is already offering grants, development resources, wallet integration opportunities and a path toward mainnet deployment.
Mainnet is still listed as in development.
So for me, the interesting question isn't:
βDoes
@GIWA_by_Upbit have a token?β
It doesn't appear to have an official one right now.
The more interesting question is:
What happens if Upbit turns its existing user base into GIWA users?
That's the part I'm watching.