Coinone Brings In Korea Investment & Securities, OKX as Strategic Investors for Global Finance Push

Korea Investment, OKX Become Joint Third-Largest Shareholders

Exchange Maps Out Shift Into Global Blockchain-Based Finance

Coinone Aims to Speed Up New Businesses in STOs and Stablecoins

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone said it has brought in Korea Investment & Securities Co. and global crypto exchange OKX as strategic investors, as it sets out to become a global comprehensive financial company built on blockchain. The company said it plans to use their expertise to accelerate new businesses including tokenized securities, or STOs, and stablecoins.

Coinone Chief Executive Officer Cha Myung-hoon made the announcement at a press conference at the company’s headquarters on June 4. He said Coinone needed an alliance that combines the trust of traditional finance with innovation and technology from global markets at a turning point for the industry.

Korea Investment & Securities and OKX each acquired a 20% stake in Coinone on May 29, making them joint third-largest shareholders. Cha retained a 30% stake, preserving management continuity, while the company formed a four-party alliance that also includes existing second-largest shareholder Com2uS Holdings.

Cha described the transaction as a strategic investment rather than a purely financial one. Korea Investment & Securities will provide the trust and compliance capabilities of traditional finance, while OKX will contribute globally scalable technology. Control of Coinone will remain with Cha as the largest shareholder. Although the ownership structure has changed, he said each party has a clearly defined role and the arrangement is designed to avoid overlap.

Coinone said it will prioritize STO and stablecoin businesses following the investment. Over the medium term, the company plans to introduce digital financial products such as STOs and stablecoins within the legal framework, with the goal of becoming a blockchain-based comprehensive financial company.

Com2uS Holdings, the existing second-largest shareholder, also welcomed the reshuffle. Chief Executive Officer Jeong Cheol-ho said the addition of Korea Investment & Securities' credibility and OKX's global infrastructure has created a strong “dream team.” The partnership will provide global liquidity to South Korea’s won-denominated crypto market and build a digital-finance value chain that combines regulated financial infrastructure with innovative technology, he said.

Korea Investment & Securities said the stake purchase marks the start of a broader push into digital assets. Chief Executive Officer Kim Sung-hwan said the investment is intended to secure an early role in linking regulated finance with the crypto market. The brokerage chose direct and indirect investments to establish a foothold in new digital-finance businesses, saying legislation on tokenized securities and stablecoins could move faster than previously expected. With the digitization of traditional assets already underway in markets including the US, the firm said it wants to respond early to industry changes.

Kim said Coinone’s security record and regulatory-compliance capabilities were key reasons for choosing it over a larger exchange. Coinone has had no security incident since its founding, he said, adding that the brokerage placed a high value on the exchange’s proven blockchain infrastructure and compliance capabilities.

OKX, which joined as a global partner, said it will focus on technical support. Founder and Chairman Star Xu said South Korea is one of the most mature digital-asset markets in the Asia-Pacific region, and that OKX plans to provide Coinone with technology and operating know-how accumulated over 13 years.

Xu said OKX will share expertise that can help Coinone build better products and services while safeguarding customer assets. That includes know-how in areas such as AI-based suspicious-transaction detection systems, custody technology and trading-system stability. He added that a core goal of the partnership is to build a framework of trust that regulators can be comfortable with.