Origin Summit Announces Wave 3: Animation Powerhouse Maggie Kang to Join Programming Lineup

Palo Alto, United States, September 18th, 2025, Chainwire

Maggie Kang, the visionary director behind Netflix’s record-breaking K-POP DEMON HUNTERS, will join Origin Summit for an exclusive fireside on global storytelling, fandom, and the rise of culturally-driven IP.

Story, the world’s IP blockchain, in collaboration with Blockworks, today announced that acclaimed animation director Maggie Kang will join the official Origin Summit programming during Korea Blockchain Week in Seoul.

Kang will appear in an exclusive fireside conversation exploring the future of storytelling through the lens of her personal journey, from breaking into Hollywood to engaging global fandoms and rewriting the rules of how Korean stories are told and celebrated around the world.

“Maggie’s work transcends mediums, genres, and borders. She embodies what Origin Summit is about: visionary IP with global reach, creative integrity, and cultural relevance,” said SY Lee, co-founder and CEO of Story. “We’re beyond excited to have her as part of the event, because K-POP DEMON HUNTERS showcases the full spectrum of what IP can be. It’s a global cultural movement. It drives music charts, sparks fandoms, inspires merchandise, and reshapes how stories move through the world. That’s the kind of programmable, participatory IP future we’re building toward.”

Origin Summit is the premier institutional event at the intersection of AI, blockchain, finance, and intellectual property. Hosted by Story, in collaboration with Blockworks and Hankyung Media Group, the Summit convenes global leaders to define the infrastructure powering the programmable IP economy. 

Known for redefining female heroes and reshaping the global animation landscape, Maggie’s appearance continues the Summit’s mission to unite the builders, creators, and visionaries transforming how culture becomes capital.

About Maggie Kang

Maggie Kang is an animation director, writer, producer, and story artist based in Los Angeles. She is best known for originating, writing, and directing the global phenomenon K-POP DEMON HUNTERS for Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation. The film is Netflix’s most-popular film of all time with 236 million views in the first nine weeks. It had a $19 million theatrical debut, the largest in Netflix history, after already being on the service for 2 months.

Its soundtrack produced eight Billboard Hot 100 hits, including the #1 single “Golden,” and earned acclaim as the first soundtrack in the last three decades to land three Billboard Top 10 Singles. Critics embraced the film as well, awarding K-POP DEMON HUNTERS a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, making it the top-performing Netflix original film to date.

Kang’s K-POP DEMON HUNTERS broke from convention by focusing on distinctly Korean influences while simultaneously rejecting a typical “female superhero” mold seen throughout media. Instead, Kang created funny, flawed, and relatable heroines that not only attracted viewers but also led to an immediate and enormous globally dedicated fandom.

A veteran of the animation industry, Kang previously served as Head of Story on THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE and began her career at DreamWorks, where she contributed as a story artist to the SHREK, KUNG FU PANDA, TROLLS, MADAGASCAR, and CROODS franchises. From Toronto and a graduate of Sheridan College’s classical animation program, she continues to redefine the landscape of animation through cultural authenticity, musical innovation, and groundbreaking global storytelling.

Previously Announced Speakers

Maggie Kang joins an already impressive lineup of global heavy-hitters announced in Wave 1 and 2, including creators and executives behind BLACKPINK, Baby Shark, Lineage, and leading institutions across finance, blockchain, and entertainment:

• Kyoung In Jung (CEO, The Black Label)
• Ryan Seungkyu Lee (Co-founder, The Pinkfong Company)
• Arthur Hayes (Founder, Maelstrom)
• Justin Sun (Founder, TRON; Advisor, HTX)
• Amy Oldenburg (Head of Emerging Markets Equity, Morgan Stanley Investment Management)
• Lee Sung-soo (CAO, SM Entertainment)
• Jake Jaekyung Song (Co-founder, Nexon)
• Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary (MD, Grayscale)
• Brandon Yu (President, HYBE APAC)
• Luca Netz (CEO, Pudgy Penguins & Igloo, Inc.)
• Yat Siu (Co-founder & Executive Chairman, Animoca Brands)
• Sandeep Nailwal (Founder & CEO Polygon Foundation and Co-Founder Sentient)
• Jangwon Lee (CEO, Contents Technologies)

Event Logistics

• Date: September 23, 2025
• Location: Seoul, South Korea (during Korea Blockchain Week)
• Format: Curated for institutional investors, IP holders, AI builders, and cultural leaders
• Website: www.originsummit.xyz
• Registration: Limited capacity. Interested parties can request access via the event website.
• Produced by: Story Protocol, in collaboration with Blockworks and Korea Economic Daily

About Origin Summit

Origin Summit is the premier institutional event at the intersection of AI, blockchain, finance and intellectual property. Hosted by Story, in collaboration with Blockworks and Hankyung Media Group, the Summit convenes global leaders to define the infrastructure powering the programmable IP economy. Taking place during Korea Blockchain Week 2025 in Seoul, Origin Summit will explore how AI, crypto, and capital are converging to unlock the world’s most valuable untapped asset class.

About Story

Backed with $136 million from a16z, Polychain, and Samsung Ventures, Story launched its mainnet in February 2025 and has rapidly become the leading blockchain infrastructure for tokenized intellectual property. Story is a blockchain purpose-built to make intellectual property a programmable digital asset with embedded rights. It enables creators, developers, enterprises, and AI labs to turn media, data, and AI-generated content into programmable, legally enforceable digital assets, fueling use cases across AI, entertainment, robotics, and more. Designed for scale, Story bridges the gap between outdated legal frameworks and the realities of AI-era creation, making it possible to track provenance, automate licensing, and unlock new markets for ideas. As the foundation for $IP’s evolution into an internet-native asset class, Story powers a more open, equitable, and composable creative economy.

Users can learn more at https://www.story.foundation.

About Blockworks

Blockworks is an information platform that sits at the center of the crypto industry. We transform raw, complex data and facts into actionable research, trusted news, alpha-driven insights, and world-class events. The result is transparency and confidence. We enable investors, operators, and institutions to see past the noise, make better decisions, and drive the industry forward.

Contact

Head of Comms
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Story
henri.vies@piplabs.xyz