Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) is exploring the possibility of taking a stake in cryptocurrency exchange Coinone, according to local media reports and statements from the companies.
Despite all the excitement generated by the talks, however, it should be noted that so far nothing has been finalized between the two parties as both are making sure the negotiations are still in their initial stages.
As part of the evaluation stage of these talks, it is reported that KIS has already started to consult with regulators and other authorities, which is a standard practice when conventional banks look at investing in the cryptocurrency market in the highly regulated Korean financial industry.
The above also reveals that the firm has not come to any agreement regarding the transactional details of the deal.
The move comes after previously Coinbase was rumoured to buy a stake in Coinone, however the deal hasn’t seen the light of the day yet.
Proposed 20 percent ownership cap could reshape South Korea’s crypto exchange landscape
The deliberations become even more important now that South Korea is considering implementing a law that would limit large shareholders’ holdings in local cryptocurrency exchanges to 20 percent.
According to reports, the chairman of Coinone, Mr Cha Myung-hoon, owns 53.44 percent of the exchange, so reducing some of his shares might be one feasible solution in case this measure is implemented.
Moreover, such an investment from KIS would align with the current tendencies within the traditional banking sphere, which tends to become increasingly involved in the crypto industry. As a matter of fact, its rival organization, Mirae Asset Group, already agreed to buy out the majority shares of crypto exchange Korbit.
KIS itself is known for having over 2 trillion won in net profits in 2025, which means that such a venture will be financially possible to accomplish.
The potential deal is taking shape at a time when South Korea is moving to tighten oversight and reshape how ownership works in its cryptocurrency exchange industry, reflecting growing efforts by regulators to make the sector more stable and transparent.
The 20 percent cap: what is it?
According to reports published on March 4, the Korean government and ruling party approved a proposal to cap the shares held by significant owners of crypto exchanges operating within the country at 20 percent.
The decision came following a discussion conducted by the digital assets task force of the Democratic Party of Korea together with the Financial Services Commission (FSC), which is the most senior financial regulatory body in the country.
If adopted into the legislation, the bill will give three years for exchanges to restructure their shareholding systems. The new regulation will particularly affect Coinone, whose chairman reportedly owns over 50% of the firm.
Under the proposed regulation, Mr. Cha Myung-hoon, the chairman of Coinone, may eventually have to sell some of his stock to comply with the requirements.
Nevertheless, experts argue that lowering the shares will not affect his control over the exchange, especially depending on how he handles the stake sale process.
The latest move comes amid increased attempts by big South Korean firms to venture into the crypto industry.
In late 2025, Naver Financial announced plans for a roughly $10.3 billion all-stock deal to acquire Dunamu, which runs the country’s largest crypto exchange.
More recently, on March 30, the company postponed its planned share swap with Dunamu as regulatory reviews continued and trading activity cooled, underscoring the cautious and closely watched nature of major crypto deals in South Korea today.