OKX and Korea Investment & Securities have joined the list of companies investing in South Korean crypto exchanges after agreeing to acquire a 20% stake each in Coinone, one of the country’s largest platforms.
OKX, KIS Become Coinone’s Third-Largest StakeholdersOn Friday, Coinone announced it had signed strategic investment agreements with Korea Investment & Securities, one of South Korea’s major brokerage firms, and OKX Ventures, the investment arm of the global crypto exchange OKX.
The crypto exchange’s CEO will remain the largest shareholder with a 30.36% stake, while Com2uS Holdings will continue to hold the second place at 24.54%. Following the transaction, Korea Investment & Securities and OKX Ventures will become the joint third-largest stakeholders.
“This marks the first step in expanding beyond traditional finance into blockchain-based digital financial services,” Korea Investment & Securities CEO Kim Sung-hwan said, adding that the company seeks to position itself as a leading player in emerging areas, including tokenized securities, stablecoins, and blockchain-based financial services.
According to the report, Coinone affirmed that the partnership with OKX Ventures aims to provide access to international market knowledge and strengthen investor protection, security, and risk management capabilities.
Netero Dai, vice president of OKX Global Markets, asserted that its joint investment with the South Korean brokerage firm reflects its conviction to build the future of finance on “compliant, well-regulated” infrastructure.
South Korea’s Crypto Exchange Investment Race Heats UpSince then, multiple firms have ramped up their investment in the country’s top crypto exchanges. In February, Mirae Asset Financial Group’s holding company, Mirae Asset Consulting, announced the acquisition of a 92% stake in Korbit for roughly $88.7 million.
