Coinone | Crypto

OKX Ventures and KIS to invest $53 million each for a 19.6% stake in Coinone, deepening ties between traditional finance and crypto in South Korea’s tightly regulated market. South Korean crypto exchange Coinone said Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) and OKX Ventures agreed to invest a combined 160 billion won ($106 million) for a 19.6% stake in the platform. The investment, which remains subject to regulatory approval, would make KIS and OKX Ventures joint third-largest shareholders in Coinone behind CEO Myung-Hun Cha and existing backer Com2uS Holdings, according to a release shared with Cointelegraph.  The transaction combines secondary share purchases from existing holders with newly issued shares, while Cha is expected to remain Coinone’s largest shareholder and retain management control. Read more

The crypto exchange's investment arm and Korea Investment & Securities will each invest 80 billion won ($53 million) as Coinone pushes into stablecoins and tokenized securities.

OKX is reportedly seeking a 20% stake in South Korean crypto exchange Coinone as foreign and domestic firms compete for market access. Global crypto exchange OKX is reportedly in talks with Korea Investment & Securities to take a major stake in Coinone, marking the latest shakeup in South Korea’s tightly regulated crypto exchange market. According to a Friday report by Korean media outlet Yonhap, the two firms are discussing plans to each acquire around 20% of Coinone, mainly through the issuance of new shares rather than the sale of existing stock, a structure that would inject fresh capital while initially leaving management control largely unchanged. In early April, Korean media reported that Korea Investment & Securities was reviewing a possible acquisition of a stake in Coinone as part of a broader push into digital assets, and that no final decision had been made. Read more

The reported acquisition talks come as South Korea is considering a 20% cap on major crypto exchange shareholders, which would force major platforms to restructure ownership. South Korean brokerage Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) is reviewing a potential stake in crypto exchange Coinone, according to Korean media reports and company comments, though no deal has been finalized. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Korea Herald reported that KIS started engaging with regulators and politicians as part of a broader process tied to a potential investment in Coinone. Coinone also said no specific transaction had been decided. The news comes as South Korea considers a proposal to cap major shareholders’ stakes in domestic crypto exchanges at 20%, a move that could force ownership changes across parts of the sector if enacted. Coinone Chairman Cha Myung-hoon reportedly controls about 53.44% of the exchange, meaning a stake sale could become one way to adapt if the proposed cap advances into law. Read more

South Korean crypto exchange Coinone has reportedly begun selling major shareholder stakes, with Coinbase rumored to be eyeing a strategic entry. Coinone, one of a handful of regulated South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges, is reportedly up for sale, with both local financial institutions and foreign exchanges among the rumored bidders. The company has begun a process to sell the stake held by chairman Cha Myung-hoon, who controls 53.4% of the company, local news agency Seoul Economic Daily reported on Sunday. “We are discussing partnerships, including equity investments, with overseas exchanges and domestic financial institutions,” Coinone confirmed to the outlet, adding that no final decision has been made. Read more