OKX Ventures and Korea Investment Acquire 20% Stakes in Coinone

Korea Investment & Securities and OKX Ventures, the investment arm of global crypto exchange OKX, have each acquired a 20% stake in South Korea’s Coinone, the country’s third-largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume. The deal, announced on Friday, combines newly issued shares and existing shares sold by Coinone CEO Cha Myung-hoon and Com2uS Holdings.

Following the transaction, Cha remains the largest shareholder with a 30.36% stake, while Com2uS Holdings holds 24.54%. The two new investors become joint third-largest shareholders, each with 20%. The investment marks one of the most significant crossovers between traditional finance and crypto in South Korea, a market with a mature digital asset regulatory environment.

“This is the first step in expanding beyond traditional finance into blockchain-based digital financial services,” said Kim Sung-hwan, CEO of Korea Investment & Securities, a brokerage arm of Korea Investment Holdings. The firm plans to leverage the stake to move into tokenized securities, stablecoins and other blockchain financial services as the country builds out its digital asset rules.

OKX Ventures brings global market expertise, according to the exchange. “South Korea is one of the world’s most mature digital asset markets and has a regulatory framework that is highly regarded globally,” said Netero Dai of OKX Ventures. The partnership aims to bolster Coinone’s investor protection, security and risk management.

Coinone CEO Cha Myung-hoon said the exchange chose investors capable of creating strategic synergies across finance, technology and digital assets. The four companies plan to hold a joint media briefing in June to detail cooperation areas.