What to Know:
- Samsung Securities is buying a 2% stake in Dunamu, the company behind Upbit.
- South Korean financial giants are moving deeper into crypto and blockchain services.
- New rules on stablecoins and digital assets are pushing traditional firms toward partnerships.
South Korea’s crypto market is entering a new phase. Big financial firms are no longer watching from the sidelines. They are buying in.
Samsung Securities is now part of that shift. The company, along with Samsung SDS and Samsung Card, will purchase a combined 4% stake in Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, South Korea’s largest crypto exchange.
The deal is worth around 613 billion Korean won, or nearly $408 million. Samsung Securities alone will take a 2% stake. The other two Samsung affiliates will each acquire 1%. The shares previously belonged to Kakao. The move shows how quickly traditional finance and crypto are starting to merge in South Korea.
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Samsung Securities Pushes Into Digital Assets
Samsung Securities is expected to work closely with Dunamu on tokenized securities and other blockchain-based financial products.
Tokenized securities are becoming one of the hottest sectors in digital finance. They allow real-world assets such as stocks, bonds, or property to be traded on blockchain networks. South Korean regulators are also preparing clearer rules for the sector. Samsung Securities appears to be positioning itself early.
At the same time, Samsung SDS plans to use Dunamu’s blockchain expertise to strengthen its AI, cloud, security, and data operations. Dunamu already operates Giwa, an Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain that is currently in testnet.
Samsung Card is also preparing for the future. The company wants to build a digital asset payment ecosystem inside its Monimo financial app ahead of upcoming stablecoin regulations.
Samsung Securities Joins South Korea’s Crypto Wave
The investment comes only weeks after Hana Bank announced plans to buy a 6.55% stake in Dunamu for roughly $670 million. The trend is becoming impossible to ignore.
Mirae Asset recently revealed plans to acquire a major stake in crypto exchange Korbit. Meanwhile, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan are testing stablecoins, on-chain payments, and tokenized securities with crypto firms.
South Korea’s government is also developing the Digital Asset Basic Act. The framework is expected to define rules for stablecoins and broader crypto operations.
For Samsung Securities, the timing may be strategic. As regulations become clearer, traditional financial firms appear eager to secure their place in the country’s growing digital asset economy.
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