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Coinone announces strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings
on June 4, Coinone announced its strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings at its headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Previously, Korea Investment Securities and OKX had each acquired a 20% stake in Coinone, becoming its third-largest shareholders. Coinone CEO Cha Myunghoon retains his position as the largest shareholder with a 30.36% stake, while Com2uS Holdings continues as the second-largest shareholder with a 24.54% stake. Coinone stated that this is a strategic investment aimed at bridging traditional finance and the crypto asset market, rather than a purely financial one. OKX will serve as Coinone's global technology partner, providing its accumulated technical expertise and support, including trading technology and wallet infrastructure. Korea Investment Securities will offer support in traditional financial compliance and trust systems, while Com2uS Holdings will provide content IP and IT infrastructure. Coinone indicated that in the short term, it will leverage the capabilities of its partners to strengthen its competitiveness in the South Korean crypto asset market. In the medium term, it plans to launch digital financial products such as STOs and stablecoins within the legal framework. Cha Myunghoon stated that after bringing in new shareholders, the continuity and stability of the company's operations will be maintained.
OKX Ventures and Korean investment securities firm KIS each invested approximately $53 million in Coinone.
According to The Block, OKX Ventures and Korean investment securities firm KIS will each invest 80 billion Korean won (approximately $53 million), acquiring 19.6% equity stakes in South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone; the transaction is pending regulatory approval.
OKX confirmed to invest $53 million to acquire a 20% stake in Coinone, a South Korean crypto exchange
OKX Ventures, the investment arm of OKX, announced it will acquire a 19.6% stake in Coinone, one of South Korea's five licensed digital asset trading platforms. Coinone has signed a strategic equity investment agreement with OKX Ventures, Korea Investment & Securities (KIS), as well as Com2uS and its affiliates.OKX Ventures and KIS will each invest 80 billion KRW ($53 million). Upon completion of the investment and receipt of regulatory approval, both companies will each hold a 19.6% stake in the platform. Together, they will become the third-largest shareholders of the South Korean exchange, trailing only Coinone CEO Cha Myung-hoon (27.8%) and Com2uS Holdings and its affiliates (25%).According to the announcement, the investment will be carried out through a combination of purchasing secondary market shares from Cha and Com2uS, as well as subscribing to newly issued shares. (The Block)
South Korea Tightens Control Over Crypto Exchange APIs; DAXA Requires Blocking of Suspicious Shared Keys
The Korea Digital Asset Exchange Alliance (DAXA) has introduced new compliance standards requiring local cryptocurrency exchanges to invalidate API keys suspected of being improperly shared by users, thereby strengthening oversight of automated trading. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) stated that automated trading currently accounts for approximately 30% of trading volume in Korea’s cryptocurrency market. Under the new rules, exchanges including Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax will enhance API monitoring, issue warnings upon detecting suspicious sharing behavior, require users to re-authenticate, and implement an IP allowlist mechanism to restrict API access to authorized addresses only.
South Korea’s virtual asset trading volume has dropped to approximately 8% of the KOSPI, and the Bitcoin South Korean premium remains negative.
According to Digital Asset, domestic virtual asset trading volume in South Korea has fallen to approximately 8% of KOSPI trading volume—less than one-tenth. Media statistics show that, as of May 26, the ratio of trading volume on Korean won-based exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax) to KOSPI trading volume stood at just 8%. The report notes that South Korea’s virtual asset market has been weakening continuously since the second half of 2025; it declined sharply following a large-scale futures liquidation event in October 2025, while the KOSPI strengthened amid a semiconductor upcycle and supportive government policies. Additionally, according to CryptoQuant data, the Bitcoin Korea Premium indicator has been negative for most of the time since March, reflecting weak buying demand in the Korean market.
Value of Cryptocurrency Holdings by South Korean Investors Halved, Investors Shift to Stocks
According to Odaily, the value of cryptocurrency holdings held by South Korean investors has more than halved over the past year, dropping from 121.8 trillion won at the end of January 2025 to 60.6 trillion won (approximately $41.4 billion) by the end of February 2026.Daily trading volume on the five major exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit, Coinone, and Gopax—fell from $11.6 billion in December 2024 to $3 billion in February 2026. Korean won deposits on these exchanges also decreased from 10.7 trillion won to 7.8 trillion won.Stablecoin holdings declined from 597 million units in December 2024 to 41 million units in February 2026.South Korean regulators plan to implement revised anti-money laundering rules in August, under which crypto transactions involving overseas exchanges or private wallets exceeding 10 million won will be automatically flagged as suspicious. Additionally, a 22% tax on crypto gains is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Coinone announces strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings
on June 4, Coinone announced its strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings at its headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Previously, Korea Investment Securities and OKX had each acquired a 20% stake in Coinone, becoming its third-largest shareholders. Coinone CEO Cha Myunghoon retains his position as the largest shareholder with a 30.36% stake, while Com2uS Holdings continues as the second-largest shareholder with a 24.54% stake. Coinone stated that this is a strategic investment aimed at bridging traditional finance and the crypto asset market, rather than a purely financial one. OKX will serve as Coinone's global technology partner, providing its accumulated technical expertise and support, including trading technology and wallet infrastructure. Korea Investment Securities will offer support in traditional financial compliance and trust systems, while Com2uS Holdings will provide content IP and IT infrastructure. Coinone indicated that in the short term, it will leverage the capabilities of its partners to strengthen its competitiveness in the South Korean crypto asset market. In the medium term, it plans to launch digital financial products such as STOs and stablecoins within the legal framework. Cha Myunghoon stated that after bringing in new shareholders, the continuity and stability of the company's operations will be maintained.
Korean Crypto Industry Opposes New AML Rules: Cross-Border Transfer Reporting Threshold May Trigger Compliance Pressure
: South Korea's crypto industry has expressed strong concerns over proposed amendments to anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, arguing that the rules could impose excessive compliance burdens on Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).According to Yonhap News Agency, the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA), representing 27 VASPs including Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax, submitted comments opposing the classification of all overseas virtual asset transfers exceeding 10 million won (approximately $6,800) as suspicious transaction reports.DAXA warned that this rule could cause the number of suspicious transaction reports from South Korea's top five exchanges to skyrocket from approximately 63,000 last year to over 5.4 million—an increase of about 85 times—severely impacting the efficiency of actual compliance execution. Furthermore, the industry also opposes a new obligation requiring exchanges to verify the accuracy of customer information, arguing it exceeds the scope of current legal authorization.South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) proposed the relevant amendments on March 30, which have now entered a public comment period, with final deliberation expected to be completed in July.Meanwhile, legal disputes between Korean exchanges and regulators over AML penalties continue. Multiple platforms are challenging previous business restrictions and fines through the courts, reflecting an escalating tension between regulatory tightening and the industry's execution capabilities. (Cointelegraph)
Korea's National Tax Service launches preparatory work for virtual asset taxation, targeting implementation in January of next year
the Korea National Tax Service has initiated preparatory work for virtual asset taxation, with the goal of formal implementation in January 2027 and preparation for comprehensive income tax filings in May 2028. According to the current Income Tax Act, income from the transfer and leasing of virtual assets will be classified as "other income," subject to a 22% tax rate on the portion exceeding an annual gain of 2.5 million Korean won, which is expected to affect approximately 13.26 million individuals.The Korea National Tax Service plans to begin collecting data from exchanges such as Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax starting next year, to improve the taxation infrastructure and promote the launch of a comprehensive virtual asset analysis system within the year. However, controversies surrounding taxation standards and the risk of capital flight persist. (Edaily)
Circle CEO: Has Expanded Collaboration with Dunamu and Bithumb to Advance Digital Asset and Stablecoin Adoption in Korea
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that Circle has expanded its collaboration with Dunamu—the operator of Upbit—to support the compliant adoption of digital assets, and broadened its partnership with Bithumb to strengthen stablecoin infrastructure and raise market awareness of stablecoins. Allaire noted that South Korea is rapidly advancing regulation for stablecoins and digital assets, and that local cryptocurrency adoption rates are high. During his time in Seoul, he also met with representatives from KakaoGroup, Coinone, Hashed, Shinhan Bank, KB Financial Group, and Woori Bank.
Related news
Coinone announces strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings
on June 4, Coinone announced its strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings at its headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Previously, Korea Investment Securities and OKX had each acquired a 20% stake in Coinone, becoming its third-largest shareholders. Coinone CEO Cha Myunghoon retains his position as the largest shareholder with a 30.36% stake, while Com2uS Holdings continues as the second-largest shareholder with a 24.54% stake. Coinone stated that this is a strategic investment aimed at bridging traditional finance and the crypto asset market, rather than a purely financial one. OKX will serve as Coinone's global technology partner, providing its accumulated technical expertise and support, including trading technology and wallet infrastructure. Korea Investment Securities will offer support in traditional financial compliance and trust systems, while Com2uS Holdings will provide content IP and IT infrastructure. Coinone indicated that in the short term, it will leverage the capabilities of its partners to strengthen its competitiveness in the South Korean crypto asset market. In the medium term, it plans to launch digital financial products such as STOs and stablecoins within the legal framework. Cha Myunghoon stated that after bringing in new shareholders, the continuity and stability of the company's operations will be maintained.
South Korea’s cryptocurrency market trading volume shrinks to 2% of the KOSPI’s, as investors shift substantial capital to the stock market.
According to South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper, Korean investors’ interest in crypto assets has rapidly waned amid persistently low crypto yields. On May 29, the combined 24-hour trading volume of South Korea’s five major crypto exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax—stood at just KRW 2.71 trillion, while the KOSPI’s trading volume on the same day reached KRW 118.27 trillion—meaning the crypto market accounted for only 2.03% of the KOSPI’s total. This stands in stark contrast to one year earlier: on July 24, 2025, the crypto market’s trading volume hit KRW 16.92 trillion—surpassing the KOSPI’s KRW 15 trillion. Since then, the KOSPI’s trading volume has surged by 680%, while the crypto market’s volume has plunged by 84%, clearly indicating a massive capital shift toward equities.
OKX Ventures and Korean investment securities firm KIS each invested approximately $53 million in Coinone.
According to The Block, OKX Ventures and Korean investment securities firm KIS will each invest 80 billion Korean won (approximately $53 million), acquiring 19.6% equity stakes in South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone; the transaction is pending regulatory approval.
OKX confirmed to invest $53 million to acquire a 20% stake in Coinone, a South Korean crypto exchange
OKX Ventures, the investment arm of OKX, announced it will acquire a 19.6% stake in Coinone, one of South Korea's five licensed digital asset trading platforms. Coinone has signed a strategic equity investment agreement with OKX Ventures, Korea Investment & Securities (KIS), as well as Com2uS and its affiliates.OKX Ventures and KIS will each invest 80 billion KRW ($53 million). Upon completion of the investment and receipt of regulatory approval, both companies will each hold a 19.6% stake in the platform. Together, they will become the third-largest shareholders of the South Korean exchange, trailing only Coinone CEO Cha Myung-hoon (27.8%) and Com2uS Holdings and its affiliates (25%).According to the announcement, the investment will be carried out through a combination of purchasing secondary market shares from Cha and Com2uS, as well as subscribing to newly issued shares. (The Block)
South Korea Tightens Control Over Crypto Exchange APIs; DAXA Requires Blocking of Suspicious Shared Keys
The Korea Digital Asset Exchange Alliance (DAXA) has introduced new compliance standards requiring local cryptocurrency exchanges to invalidate API keys suspected of being improperly shared by users, thereby strengthening oversight of automated trading. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) stated that automated trading currently accounts for approximately 30% of trading volume in Korea’s cryptocurrency market. Under the new rules, exchanges including Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax will enhance API monitoring, issue warnings upon detecting suspicious sharing behavior, require users to re-authenticate, and implement an IP allowlist mechanism to restrict API access to authorized addresses only.
Korea Investment & Securities and OKX plan to jointly acquire 40% of Coinone's shares, with total amount potentially exceeding $300 million
Korea Investment & Securities will sign an agreement with OKX on May 29, with each party acquiring a 20% stake in Korean crypto exchange Coinone, totaling a 40% stake acquisition.Reports indicate that the total transaction amount is expected to be between 500 billion and 600 billion Korean Won (approximately $332 million to $398 million). The acquisition will primarily be conducted through the issuance of new shares, and the management rights of the existing major shareholders will remain unchanged.Korea Investment & Securities stated that, based on this acquisition, it will advance digital asset businesses such as token security issuance and distribution, corporate client expansion, and prime brokerage. (Edaily)