OKX and Korea Investment take 20% stakes in South Korean exchange Coinone

OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities each agreed to acquire a 20% stake in Coinone, one of South Korea's five licensed cryptocurrency exchanges. The investment, valued at about 80 billion KRW (roughly $53 million) per investor, will make the two firms joint third‑largest shareholders after the deal closes. Coinone CEO Cha Myung‑hoon will remain the largest shareholder with roughly 30% and Com2uS Holdings will hold about 24.5%.

The transaction will involve a mix of secondary share purchases from Cha and Com2uS and the issuance of new shares, and it is subject to regulatory approval. OKX Ventures aims to share expertise on user protection, security and risk management, while Korea Investment & Securities plans to expand into tokenized securities, stablecoins and other blockchain‑based financial services. "This marks the first step in expanding beyond traditional finance into blockchain‑based digital financial services," said Korea Investment & Securities CEO Kim Sung‑hwan. OKX’s Netero Dai added, "South Korea is one of the world's most mature digital asset markets and has a regulatory framework that is highly regarded globally."

Both parties intend to hold a joint media briefing in June to outline further cooperation.