NCT's Strategic Move Into Web3 Infrastructure: Why This Starks Network Acquisition Signals the Future of On-Chain Digital Assets

In a move that merges traditional maritime commerce with cutting-edge blockchain technology, Intercont (Cayman) Limited (Nasdaq: NCT), a carbon-neutral shipping enterprise, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to acquire a minority stake in Starks Network Ltd, a Singapore-headquartered Web3 technology provider. The partnership will accelerate the joint development of zCloak Network, a privacy-focused blockchain infrastructure platform designed for enterprise-grade asset tokenization and compliant payment systems.

The Market Backdrop: Why Now?

The stablecoin revolution has reached an inflection point. According to Stablecoin Insider, stablecoin transaction volumes hit $27.6 trillion in 2024—surpassing the combined annual processing capacity of Visa and Mastercard. This milestone underscores a fundamental shift: digital payment infrastructure is no longer speculative; it’s operational at scale.

McKinsey’s analysis projects that stablecoin transactions will continue accelerating and could eclipse traditional payment volumes within the next decade. Meanwhile, the broader digital asset market capitalization surged from $5 billion in 2022 to over $25.5 billion by July 2025—a staggering 410% increase. BlackRock’s Q3 2025 report revealed $13.46 trillion in assets under management, signaling institutional capital’s early embrace of tokenized assets.

As governments and financial institutions worldwide establish strategic footholds in digital finance, enterprises are increasingly demanding secure, compliant, and scalable wallet infrastructure.

Starks Network and zCloak: Technical Differentiation

Starks Network brings a portfolio of proprietary frameworks spanning several critical verticals: AI-driven identity verification, enterprise self-custodial wallet solutions, stablecoin payment infrastructure, and AI-powered cryptocurrency payment technologies. These capabilities have attracted validation from Hong Kong’s Cyberport incubation program and investment backing from top-tier venture capital firms including Coinbase Ventures.

The company’s competitive moat rests on compliance-first design—a distinction increasingly valued by institutional adopters seeking to navigate regulatory uncertainty while capturing Web3’s efficiency gains.

NCT’s Strategic Pivot: From Shipping to Asset Tokenization

For NCT, this acquisition represents a deliberate diversification into real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. The company plans to leverage zCloak’s technical infrastructure to develop standardized, compliant, and scalable on-chain solutions across multiple industries.

Ms. Muchun Zhu, CEO of NCT, framed the partnership through a literary lens: “Four hundred years after Shakespeare penned The Merchant of Venice, commerce sails on-chain.” The reference invokes timeless themes of contract, wealth, and value exchange—principles that blockchain technology reimagines through cryptographic certainty.

Zhu further highlighted the commercial opportunity: infrastructure providers in privacy-preserving identity and confidential computation currently achieve $30–40 million in annual revenue through institutional adoption and high-margin enterprise integrations. “zCloak positions us to participate in these high-value verticals,” she noted, emphasizing that the acquisition targets a structural demand now forming around enterprise-grade Web3 infrastructure.

The Path Forward

The collaboration aims to accelerate enterprise adoption of Web3 technologies globally. By combining NCT’s domain expertise in digitizing real-world assets with zCloak’s proven infrastructure, the partnership seeks to capture expanding demand from institutions seeking tokenization pathways that balance innovation with regulatory compliance.

This acquisition reflects a broader pattern: traditional enterprises are no longer observers of blockchain’s evolution—they are active architects, building infrastructure that bridges legacy finance and decentralized systems.