OKX Ventures Acquires 20% Stake in South Korea’s Coinone in $106 Million Deal

OKX Ventures has acquired a 20% stake in South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone, becoming the third-largest shareholder in a deal valued at 160 billion KRW (approximately $106 million). The investment, made jointly with Korea Investment & Securities (KIS), is intended to upgrade Coinone’s trading technology, bolster compliance with local regulations, and expand institutional services in one of Asia’s most tightly controlled crypto markets.

Technology and Compliance at the Core of the Partnership

The transaction includes both new shares and the purchase of existing shares, providing Coinone with fresh capital while also involving current shareholders. According to DigitalToday, the investment was driven by a shared belief that reliable technology and regulatory compliance are essential for the future of the cryptocurrency sector.

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Coinone will integrate OKX’s matching engine, custody system, and wallet technology, which should result in faster trade execution, stronger security, and more stable platform performance for users. The partnership also addresses South Korea’s evolving regulatory environment, particularly the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, which imposes stricter requirements on exchanges. Coinone plans to enhance its compliance framework using OKX’s global experience in security and risk management.

Management Structure and Shareholding Details

Despite the significant investment, Coinone founder and CEO Cha Myung-hoon will remain at the helm with full management control. He retains a 27.8% stake, making him the largest individual shareholder. Com2uS Holdings and its affiliates own 25.0%, while OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities each hold 19.6%.

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Cha, a computer science graduate of Pohang University of Science and Technology and a former white-hat hacker, brings a security-first mindset that aligns with OKX’s engineering-driven approach. OKX CEO Star Xu, a physics graduate of Renmin University of China and former chief technology officer at Yahoo Beijing, noted that Coinone has built a strong security and risk management culture under Cha’s leadership.

Strategic Implications for the Asian Crypto Market

The deal gives OKX a regulated foothold in South Korea without the need to launch a separate local exchange. For Coinone, access to OKX’s technology and global compliance expertise positions it to compete more effectively as institutional adoption grows. The three companies — OKX Ventures, Coinone, and Korea Investment & Securities — plan to jointly explore new digital financial products, including security token offerings (STOs), stablecoins, and tokenized financial services, as South Korea’s regulatory framework matures.

This investment signals a broader trend of global crypto firms seeking partnerships with regulated local exchanges to work through complex national regulations while expanding their presence in key Asian markets.

Written by

Moris Nakamura

Moris Nakamura is the editor-in-chief at CryptoNewsInsights, leading editorial strategy and contributing in-depth analysis on Bitcoin markets, macroeconomic trends affecting digital assets, and institutional cryptocurrency adoption. With over ten years of experience spanning financial journalism and blockchain technology research, Moris has established himself as a trusted voice in cryptocurrency media. He began his career as a financial markets reporter in Tokyo, covering foreign exchange and commodity markets before pivoting to full-time cryptocurrency journalism during the 2017 market cycle.