Kiwoom Securities将入股Bithumb的内部评估再延长三个月，尚未作出具体决定

Kiwoom Securities has extended its review of a potential equity investment in cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb for another three months, leaving open the possibility of entering the digital asset business as partnerships between securities firms and crypto exchanges accelerate ahead of South Korea's digital asset market reforms.
In a regulatory filing on July 28, Kiwoom Securities said it is "internally reviewing various options to establish a foundation for its digital asset business, but no specific decision has been made at this time."
The company said it will disclose any concrete developments once a decision is reached or no later than Oct. 27.
The filing follows market speculation on June 29 that Kiwoom Securities was considering acquiring a stake in Bithumb. At the time, local reports said the two companies had begun preliminary discussions on a possible investment, with one option involving Kiwoom subscribing to newly issued shares through a third-party allotment if Bithumb proceeds with a capital increase. Kiwoom also stated at that time that no decision had been finalized.
The transaction under discussion is understood to be a strategic equity investment rather than an outright acquisition. By acquiring a stake in Bithumb, Kiwoom could quickly secure operational capabilities and technology required for digital asset businesses, including cryptocurrency trading, digital wallets, customer verification and anti-money laundering (AML) systems.
Growing interest among securities firms in cryptocurrency exchanges comes as digital assets move closer to becoming part of South Korea's regulated financial system. Amendments to the Electronic Securities Act and the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, which establish the legal framework for tokenized securities, were passed by the National Assembly in January. Once the revised legislation takes effect, securities issued through distributed ledger technology and investment contract securities will be permitted to trade under the new framework. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is targeting implementation in early 2027 and is preparing the necessary issuance, trading, settlement and technical infrastructure.
The emergence of won-denominated stablecoins and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization is also encouraging closer cooperation between securities firms and cryptocurrency exchanges. While securities firms possess strengths in financial product development, brokerage, wealth management and regulatory compliance, they generally lack blockchain transaction infrastructure, digital wallet technology and experience operating 24-hour trading platforms. Cryptocurrency exchanges, meanwhile, have established digital asset trading technology and user bases but can benefit from securities firms' expertise in regulated financial products and asset management.
Partnerships between securities firms and cryptocurrency exchanges are already taking shape. Mirae Asset Consulting, a non-financial affiliate of the Mirae Asset Group, completed its acquisition of management control of cryptocurrency exchange Korbit by purchasing a 97.15% stake for 141.37 billion won, marking the first acquisition of a controlling interest in a Korean won-based cryptocurrency exchange by an affiliate of a domestic financial group.
Separately, Korea Investment & Securities signed an agreement in May to acquire a total of 159,610 existing and newly issued shares in Coinone. Following the investment, the brokerage will hold approximately a 20% stake, making it one of Coinone's three largest shareholders alongside OKX Ventures.