South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone is bringing two major investors onto its shareholder register after agreeing to sell nearly 40% of the company to OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) in a deal valued at 160 billion won.
Under the agreement, OKX Ventures and KIS will each invest 80 billion won ($53 million) to acquire approximately 19.6% stakes in Coinone, subject to regulatory approval. The transaction will be completed through a combination of newly issued shares and purchases from existing shareholders, allowing the exchange to raise fresh capital while maintaining its current management structure.
Deal Makes OKX and KIS Major Shareholders
Following completion of the transaction:
- CEO Cha Myunghun will remain Coinone’s largest shareholder with a 27.8% stake.
- Com2uS Holdings and affiliated entities will own roughly 25%.
- OKX Ventures will hold 19.6%.
- Korea Investment & Securities will hold 19.6%.
The transaction will make OKX Ventures and KIS the exchange’s joint third-largest shareholders. Industry reports earlier this month indicated that the two firms were evaluating a combined acquisition of roughly 40% of Coinone. Friday’s announcement confirms those discussions and provides one of the clearest examples yet of traditional financial institutions and global crypto firms investing directly in South Korea’s regulated exchange sector.
Why the Investors Want Coinone
For OKX Ventures, the investment provides a strategic position in one of Asia’s most active cryptocurrency markets. South Korea remains a key trading hub with strong retail participation and a regulatory framework that favors licensed domestic exchanges. The investment also aligns with broader ecosystem expansion efforts after OKX’s X Layer Introduces Exchange OS for custom onchain trading venues and institutional blockchain infrastructure.
KIS, one of the country’s largest securities firms, views the transaction as a gateway into emerging digital asset businesses. The company has identified several areas where collaboration with Coinone could be beneficial:
- Tokenized securities issuance and trading
- Stablecoin-related services
- Digital asset brokerage
- Institutional crypto offerings
- Blockchain-based financial infrastructure
Neither investor is expected to take operational control of Coinone, which emphasized that management authority will remain with existing leadership.
What the Deal Means for Coinone
The investment strengthens Coinone‘s capital position at a time when South Korean exchanges face increasing compliance requirements and growing competition for institutional clients.
Unlike a full acquisition, the transaction is structured as a strategic investment designed to bring both capital and industry expertise. The inclusion of newly issued shares means part of the proceeds will flow directly into Coinone’s balance sheet, potentially supporting product development, regulatory compliance initiatives and expansion into new digital asset services.
Market Context
The deal arrives as South Korea prepares for the next phase of digital asset regulation, including discussions around stablecoins, tokenized securities and the upcoming South Korea crypto tax framework for digital asset investors and exchanges.
Traditional financial institutions have increasingly sought exposure to digital assets through partnerships and minority investments rather than launching standalone crypto platforms. Coinone’s agreement with OKX Ventures and KIS reflects that trend, bringing together a global crypto investor and a major securities firm in one of the country’s largest exchange ownership transactions.
If approved by regulators, the deal will rank among the most significant strategic investments in South Korea’s cryptocurrency industry in recent years and could serve as a model for future collaborations between traditional finance and digital asset companies.
