Korea Investment & Securities is teaming up with Kakao, KakaoBank and Kakao Pay to jointly build digital asset infrastructure and services. The plan combines the brokerage's wealth management and structuring capabilities with the reach of the country's dominant mobile platform to stake out a next-generation digital finance ecosystem built around security token offerings and stablecoins.
Korea Investment & Securities said on the 1st that it had signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Kakao Group to jointly develop and market services related to the issuance and distribution of digital assets.
Under the agreement, Korea Investment & Securities and the three Kakao companies will set up a financial cooperation framework spanning the entire digital asset value chain. Key areas of collaboration include developing business models for digital assets, creating financial services linked to investment, remittance, payment and settlement, jointly building core infrastructure such as digital wallets dedicated to digital assets, and connecting custody services with customer-facing offerings.
Korea Investment & Securities had previously explored project-by-project cooperation with KakaoBank on wallet development, security token distribution and ways to use stablecoins. With this partnership, the brokerage plans to widen its collaboration to include Kakao's main unit and Kakao Pay, building a one-stop digital finance ecosystem that covers everything from asset sourcing to payment and distribution networks.
"Through our cooperation with Korea Investment & Securities, we will expand the scope of our collaboration beyond the issuance and distribution of digital assets to infrastructure as a whole," said Yun Ho-young, KakaoBank's chief executive and co-head of Kakao Group's stablecoin task force. "By combining the strengths of both companies, we will create an innovative model that delivers real benefits to investors."
Kim Sung-hwan, president of Korea Investment & Securities, said the companies would "explore a new paradigm for digital asset-based financial services by combining Korea Investment & Securities' financial expertise with Kakao Group's platform dominance." He added, "Through close cooperation, we will lead changes in the market and offer differentiated financial services."
