OKX Ventures and KIS Inject $106 Million Into South Korea’s Coinone

In a major move for the South Korean digital asset market, OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) have announced a combined investment of KRW 160 billion ($106 million) into Coinone, one of the nation’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. The deal, finalized on Friday, will see both the investment arm of global giant OKX and the prominent Korean brokerage each acquire a 19.6% stake in the platform for KRW 80 billion apiece. This strategic infusion of capital is designed to bolster Coinone’s expansion into emerging sectors, specifically stablecoins and tokenized securities, CoinDesk reported.

The transaction is structured as a dual-pronged acquisition involving the purchase of secondary shares from current holders and the subscription of newly issued equity. Despite the significant entry of these two major players, Coinone’s leadership structure is expected to remain stable. CEO Cha Myunghun will maintain his position as the largest shareholder with a 27.8% stake and will retain full management control. Meanwhile, Com2uS Holdings and its affiliates will move to a 25% ownership position, leaving OKX Ventures and KIS as the joint third-largest shareholders.

This partnership marks a significant bridge between global crypto infrastructure and South Korea’s traditional financial sector. The entry of KIS, a heavyweight in the domestic brokerage space, signals a growing institutional appetite for regulated digital asset ventures. While the deal formalizes rumors that have circulated since early May, the finalization of the investment remains subject to regulatory approval from Korean financial authorities. Once cleared, the capital is expected to accelerate Coinone’s technological roadmap as it competes in an increasingly crowded Asian crypto landscape.