Korea Blockchain Week 2026 explores AI and Web3 integration

The Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) 2026 main conference opened in Seoul, focusing on the integration of institutional digital assets, on-chain finance, stablecoins, and the convergence of AI and Web3. Hosted by Factblock with Dunamu as a partner, the event features hundreds of speakers from major industry players including MetaMask, Robinhood, and Tether.

Key discussions highlighted the shift from simple cryptocurrency trading toward the issuance, custody, and settlement of digital assets. MetaMask CEO Joseph Rubin outlined plans to expand the wallet into a broader financial platform, while Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes introduced 'FLOP,' a concept for a payment network where AI agents use tokens to trade computing resources.

Parallel to the conference, the GWDC 2026 Korea hackathon concluded at the aT Center. The competition showcased practical applications of blockchain and AI, with winners including 'Protocol Alpha Finder' for analyzing on-chain activities and 'CFO Agent' for managing GPU usage costs through smart contracts. The hackathon emphasized the emerging challenge of controlling and verifying financial permissions for autonomous AI agents.