On June 4, Cha Myung-hoon, CEO of Coinone, held a joint press conference at the company's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, "This investment goes beyond mere financial investment; it lays the groundwork for establishing the digital asset industry as a trusted institutional sector among the public and authorities. We aim to grow into a comprehensive financial company based on blockchain technology, surpassing the traditional cryptocurrency exchange model."
Previously, Hanwha Investment & Securities and OKX Ventures each secured a 20% stake in Coinone, making them joint third-largest shareholders alongside Cha (30.36%) and Com2us Holdings (24.54%). Cha noted, "Even with new shareholders participating in the board to discuss major decisions, I will maintain over 30% ownership, ensuring continuity and stability in management."
Hanwha Investment & Securities emphasized that this investment is a strategic investment (SI) rather than just a financial investment (FI). Kim Sung-hwan, CEO of Hanwha Investment & Securities, explained, "As the institutionalization of digital assets like token securities and stablecoins accelerates, the market will shift from simple trading competition to a focus on new financial services. We decided on a strategic investment to secure a hub connecting traditional finance and digital assets."
Regarding the choice of Coinone over larger exchanges like Upbit and Bithumb, Kim stated, "We did not solely consider trading volume or market share. Coinone has not experienced a single security incident since its establishment and has a proven blockchain infrastructure."
OKX plans to provide Coinone with global infrastructure and technological support. Star Xu, Founder and CEO of OKX, remarked, "Leveraging the technology, security, and risk management expertise accumulated over 13 years of operating a global exchange, we will support Coinone in becoming a safer and more trusted platform."
Existing major shareholder Com2us Holdings played a bridging role in this investment process. Song Byung-jun, Chairman of Com2us Holdings, stated, "To respond to the rapidly changing digital finance environment, we redesigned the shareholder structure with Coinone. The combination of Hanwha Investment & Securities' financial expertise and OKX's global network has laid the foundation for Coinone to take a significant leap forward."
Coinone emphasized the significance of collaboration among top-tier companies in various fields. Cha stated, "We will build a digital finance ecosystem that combines the trust of traditional finance, global technological capabilities, and content and IT expertise. In the long term, we aim to evolve into a global comprehensive digital financial platform."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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