La branche d'investissement d'OKX acquiert une part minoritaire importante dans la plateforme sud-coréenne de trading de cryptomonnaies Coinone

OKX Ventures, the investment arm of crypto exchange OKX, will invest KRW 80 billion ($53 million) for a 19.6% stake in South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone, the companies announced Friday, marking one of the largest recent investments by a global crypto firm into Korea's digital asset sector.

Korea Investment & Securities (KIS), one of South Korea's largest brokerages, will make an identical KRW 80 billion investment and also hold a 19.6% stake upon completion of the transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approval.

The combined KRW 160 billion ($106 million) deal will be structured through a mix of secondary share purchases from existing shareholders and subscriptions for newly issued shares, according to a company statement.

Following the investment, Coinone CEO Cha Myunghun is expected to remain the exchange's largest shareholder with a 27.8% stake and retain management control. Com2uS Holdings et ses sociétés affiliées en détiendront 25 %, tandis qu'OKX Ventures et KIS deviendront le troisième actionnaire commun.

The deal formalizes discussions first reported by Yonhap earlier this month, which said OKX and KIS were considering acquiring roughly 20% stakes in Coinone.