South Korea · Bloomberg · OKX · Coinone · Bitcoinist
OKX Eyes A 20% Stake In South Korean Exchange, Here’s What It Signals For The Region
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Global crypto exchange OKX is in discussions to acquire approximately a 20% stake in Coinone, one of South Korea’s five licensed crypto exchanges, according to a May 15 report by Yonhap News Agency, a move that would mark OKX’s most significant strategic foothold in one of Asia’s most active digital asset markets.
Key facts
- In March 2026, Intercontinental Exchange, the NYSE’s parent company, invested approximately $200 million in OKX at a $25 billion valuation and secured a board seat, per Bloomberg’s reporting
- Coinone’s largest shareholder is The One Group at 34.30%, followed by gaming company Com2uS Holdings at 21.95%, CEO Cha Myung-hoon at 19.14%, and Com2uS Plus at 16.47%, per the Bloomingbit report
- A regulated stake in Coinone would extend that institutional architecture into South Korea, a market where approximately 30% of the population, or roughly 15.5 million people, held digital assets
- As of this writing, Bitcoin trades at around $80,000, consolidating near its 200-day moving average as the broader market awaits the next macro catalyst
Summary
Korea Investment & Securities, one of South Korea’s major brokerage firms, is reportedly pursuing a parallel 20% stake in Coinone under the same framework, per the Yonhap report as cited by Bloomberg’s Bloomingbit. Coinone’s largest shareholder is The One Group at 34.30%, followed by gaming company Com2uS Holdings at 21.95%, CEO Cha Myung-hoon at 19.14%, and Com2uS Plus at 16.47%, per the Bloomingbit report. The reported discussions arrive at a precise moment in South Korea’s rapidly shifting crypto ownership landscape. For OKX, the Coinone discussions fit a pattern of accelerating global institutional positioning.