OKX Ventures, Korea Investment & Securities to buy 19.6% Coinone stake for $106M
Coinone said Korea Investment & Securities and OKX Ventures will invest a combined 160 billion won ($106 million) for a 19.6% stake in the exchange, pending regulatory approval. The deal mixes secondary share purchases and new share issuance. CEO Myung-Hun Cha is expected to remain Coinone’s largest shareholder and keep management control, while KIS and OKX Ventures would become Coinone’s joint third-largest shareholders behind Cha and Com2uS Holdings. The investment gives OKX Ventures exposure to South Korea’s tightly regulated crypto market and fits OKX’s focus on compliant infrastructure. KIS said it plans to work with Coinone on security token offerings and stablecoin-related businesses as local rules for tokenized finance develop. The move comes as South Korea tightens crypto oversight under the 2024 Virtual Asset User Protection Act and opens the sector to more institutional participation. Similar deals include Mirae Asset Consulting’s planned control of Korbit and Hana Financial Group’s planned stake in Dunamu, operator of Upbit.
