Coinone Secures $106M Deal With Korea Investment and OKX

South Korea’s crypto sector moved into another consolidation phase on Thursday after Coinone secured fresh strategic investments. Korea Investment & Securities and OKX Ventures each agreed to invest about $53 million each in the exchange. The deal now signals growing institutional interest in South Korea’s digital asset market.

As per the release, the investment will give both firms a 19.6% stake in Coinone, subject to regulatory approval. The transaction values the exchange at roughly 500 billion to 600 billion won. It also combines secondary share purchases with newly issued shares, reshaping the ownership structure. However, Coinone CEO Cha Myunghun will remain the largest shareholder with a 27.8% stake. Com2uS Holdings and related entities will still hold about 25% after the deal closes.

Traditional finance moves deeper into crypto

The agreement signals closer ties between South Korea’s financial institutions and digital asset platforms. Besides capital investment, both sides plan to expand into stablecoins, tokenized assets, and institutional crypto services.

Korea Investment & Securities plans to work with Coinone on stablecoin and security token businesses as South Korea pushes deeper into digital finance. The partnership also aims to connect traditional financial services with blockchain-based settlement systems, reflecting growing efforts to integrate regulated markets with crypto infrastructure.

The companies also plan to improve compliance systems. As a result, Korea Investment & Securities will share its expertise in anti-money laundering checks and transaction monitoring with Coinone to strengthen regulatory standards.

Korea Investment & Securities CEO Kim Sung-hwan said, “Through this strategic equity investment in Coinone, we will contribute to building a sound virtual asset ecosystem while accelerating our efforts to secure new growth engines based on virtual assets.”

OKX expands its Korean presence

OKX Ventures views South Korea as a key regulated crypto market. The investment gives the global exchange operator deeper exposure to the country’s evolving digital asset sector. OKX and Coinone plan to share operational expertise in security, compliance, and institutional trading systems. Additionally, both companies aim to strengthen platform resilience and improve investor protection frameworks.

OKX Global Markets Vice President Netero Dai said, “South Korea is one of the world’s most sophisticated digital asset markets, and its regulatory framework is highly respected globally.”He added, “We look forward to working closely with Coinone and Korea Investment & Securities to help build the next generation of regulated digital financial services for Korean investors.”

Korea’s crypto investment race intensifies

The Coinone deal follows a wave of large crypto investments from major South Korean financial groups this year. Samsung-related subsidiaries recently invested about $408 million in Dunamu, the parent company of Upbit.

Moreover, Mirae Asset has moved to acquire a controlling stake in Korbit. At the same time, credit card firms KB Kookmin Card and Shinhan Card have launched stablecoin payment partnerships with Avalanche and Solana.

As South Korea’s top-tier financial organizations continue to absorb independent digital asset venues, the dividing line between traditional equity brokerage and decentralized asset exchange has effectively ceased to exist.

Also Read: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Backs Stablecoin Regulation, Rejects CBDC