How Nexpace integrates blockchain into the legendary MapleStory universe
It's no surprise that many new token launches go largely unnoticed. However, there are exceptions, such as the Nexpace project: the launch of its token coincided with the release of a new version of the popular MapleStory game, attracting a great deal of attention.
What is NEXPACE?
Nexpace is a gaming Web3 platform launched in August 2024 based on the BNB Chain blockchain ecosystem. The NEXPACE platform was developed by a subsidiary of Nexon in Abu Dhabi, responsible for releasing the popular MMORPG game MapleStory. According to the Steam platform, the number of MapleStory players worldwide exceeds 260 million as of 2025.
The goal of creating Nexpace was to expand the MapleStory Universe, particularly through the integration of blockchain technology.
The Web3 ecosystem Nexpace operates on the BNB Smart Chain and Avalanche (C-Chain) blockchains, both of which are highly popular among game developers. According to some reports, between 2021 and 2024, over 560 Web3 gaming projects were launched on the BNB Chain, including the BNB Smart Chain and opBNB.
Like many Web3 game developers, the Nexpace team moved away from traditional models, giving players the ability to own, trade, and monetize digital assets such as tokens and NFTs. The outdated model used by most video games does not allow players to monetize their in-game experience: users can spend years upgrading their characters without the ability to sell them to other players after quitting the game.
Nexpace token
Although the Nexpace protocol itself was launched in mid-2024, its native token, ticker symbol NXCP, was issued and listed on crypto exchanges only in May 2025. The NXCP token debuted on Binance Alpha, the largest platform for initial token launches. A portion of the tokens was distributed via a free airdrop as part of Binance's HODLer Airdrops program.
The NXCP token became the main payment currency of the MapleStory Universe Web3 gaming ecosystem and the new game MapleStory N. The latter is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on the old 2D version of MapleStory, beloved by hundreds of millions of users.
Thus, the developers created a decentralized economy for MapleStory players that benefits both users and the game's creators.
The Nexpace token is used for in-game transactions, such as creating, buying, and selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as well as for paying fees, including gas fees for transactions on the Layer-1 (L1) network.
Additionally, NXCP serves as a governance token, allowing holders to participate in DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) voting and thereby influence the development of the Web3 ecosystem, including MapleStory.
A total of 1 billion NXCP tokens were issued. However, as of May 2025, only 173 million NXCP are in circulation, representing just ~17% of the maximum supply.
At the time of listing in mid-May 2025, the NXCP token price reached $1.92, then jumped to an all-time high (ATH) of $3.84, according to CoinMarketCap. However, immediately after hitting the ATH, the altcoin's price began to fall, and by the end of the month, it had reached a historical low of $1.43. At the time of writing, the token is priced at $1.68, with a market capitalization of $291 million, ranking the asset 168th globally in the cryptocurrency market.
There is also another token within the Nexpace ecosystem — NESO. The NXCP token also serves as a reserve asset for the NESO altcoin. The NESO token itself serves multiple functions:
- Used to buy and sell NFTs, just like the in-game MapleStory token NXCP;
- Grants access to in-game features, such as item enhancements in MapleStory N;
- Rewards players for participating in various competitions and gaming quests based on the well-known crypto-economic model Play-to-Earn.
NESO can be converted to NXCP tokens at a 1:1 ratio and vice versa via a smart contract provided by the Nexpace developers.
