Korea’s highest-grossing webnovel and webtoon, and the most-watched anime in Crunchyroll history, announces a partnership with Story, spanning IP-backed memecoins and exploring on-chain IP economics.
The global phenomenon Solo Leveling is breaking new ground by coming on-chain via Story. In a move that bridges a blockbuster franchise with blockchain, Solo Leveling is exploring the issuance of a tokenized real-world asset (RWA), exploring an entirely new flavor of tokenized RWAs that differ from money market funds, equity offerings, and treasury vehicles that are typically represented in web3.
Solo Leveling is working with Story to initiate steps toward on-chain representation of select IP elements. This approach is intended to enable on-chain programmability for select integrations, opening the door to future fan-driven remixing, blockchain-based experiences, both digital and real-world, and next-gen licensing deals. The announcement cements Solo Leveling’s status as a cross-media juggernaut and as a pioneer in its industry by moving its IP to Web3.
Before its Web3 debut, Solo Leveling has already proven itself a cultural titan across multiple formats:
- Webnovel & Webtoon: Originating as a web novel and adapted as a webtoon in Korea, Solo Leveling amassed over 14+ billion views worldwide, 175+ million readers, an unprecedented achievement that solidified it as a flagship Korean series with global influence. It is also the highest-grossing webtoon and Korean webnovel in history.
- Comic Book: The comic adaptation has been a breakout print hit, reaching #1 on the New York Times Graphic Books bestseller list and selling over 10 million copies globally.
- Anime (Streaming): Solo Leveling’s anime adaptation stormed streaming platforms, becoming the most-watched anime in the history of Crunchyroll and ranking in Netflix’s weekly Top 10 in 11 countries upon debut (and clinching the #1 spot on Amazon Prime Video in Japan).
- Anime (Awards): The series swept the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards with 9 honors at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including the coveted Anime of the Year, a historic first for a manhwa-based show.
- Game: The mobile RPG Solo Leveling: ARISE turned the franchise into an interactive experience, grossing approximately $70 million in its first month and attracting 50 million players within five months of launch. The game was number 1 in downloads in 141 countries; number 1 in revenue in 21 countries; and number 1 in App Store popularity rankings across 78 countries.
- Live Action Series: Netflix is producing a live-action series adaptation of the global phenomenon “Solo Leveling,” with rising star Byeon Woo-seok attached to lead the project as protagonist Sung Jinwook.
These feats illustrate Solo Leveling’s unrivaled multi-format success and passionate worldwide fanbase. Now, by venturing onto the blockchain, Solo Leveling is poised to redefine how a modern franchise can engage its community and unlock new value with its content.
Webnovel and Webtoon to Web3
Solo Leveling is collaborating with Story, the world’s first blockchain network purpose-built for intellectual property, to begin steps toward on-chain IP representation for select elements. Story tokenizes IP and makes it programmable, enabling new models of ownership, remix, and monetization for creators and fans. By onboarding Solo Leveling, Story is effectively aiming to demonstrate on-chain representation for one of the world’s highest-value franchises. In practice, this means select elements of the Solo Leveling IP (e.g., characters, universe, and content rights) could be represented on-chain and managed through smart contracts.
Once on Story, Solo Leveling’s IP would become machine-readable and enforceable on-chain, allowing developers and fans to build with it under prese