LG Electronics has built a blockchain network for placing and selling ads, as revealed to Fortune on June 11. The South Korean device maker collaborated with Arbitrum to develop its own layer-2 chain for the ad platform, emerging from LG's dedicated blockchain research lab. The system was piloted with an unnamed Japanese ad agency, and a commercial rollout is under evaluation for later this year. The platform provides a shared database of ad inventory and records audience interactions, potentially replacing manual reconciliation in digital ad deals. Digital ad spend is forecast to reach $740 billion in 2026, about 73% of a global media market over $1 trillion. Samuel Byungsun Park, LG's blockchain research head, said the company is evaluating whether the approach delivers value. Historically, LG has ventured into Web3 with its Wallypto wallet and an NFT trading TV patent. LG joins a trend of firms building their own blockchains, such as Stripe's Tempo, Robinhood's Arbitrum-based equity chain, and Circle's Arc network. Arbitrum's token (ARB) traded near $0.083, up 5% in 24h but down 80% over the past year. Arbitrum co-founder Steven Goldfeder noted the model can automate ad sales but warned that owning a chain isn't for everyone. LG's full launch decision is expected later this year.

Key facts

• LG developed a layer-2 blockchain with Arbitrum for digital advertising.
• The platform provides a shared ledger for ad inventory and audience interaction data.
• Digital ad spend is forecast at $740 billion in 2026, 73% of global media market.
• LG joins firms like Stripe and Robinhood in building proprietary blockchains.
• Arbitrum's ARB token is up 5% daily but down 80% over the past year.

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