Brokerages rush into crypto exchange investments to secure future growth

Local securities firms are ramping up investments in cryptocurrency exchanges as they seek to secure a foothold in the country’s emerging digital asset market ahead of the planned introduction of a tokenized securities framework, industry officials said Friday. Korea Investment & Securities announced that it has signed a strategic investment agreement with cryptocurrency exchange Coinone, acquring a roughly 20 percent stake in the platform. The deal will make the brokerage Coinone’s third-largest shareholder, following CEO Cha Myung-hoon, who holds a 30.36 percent stake, and Com2uS Holdings with 24.54 percent. The securities firm said its investment in Coinone is intended not merely as an equity acquisition but as a foundation for expanding into new digital finance businesses. “With this partnership, we have taken our first step beyond the boundaries of conventional finance toward blockchain-based digital financial services,” Korea Investment & Securities CEO Kim Sung-hwan said. “We seek to position ourselves as a leading player in the global digital asset market through innovative token