- Three Samsung affiliates are buying a 4% stake in Upbit parent company Dunamu.
- The investment signals growing institutional interest in South Korea’s crypto sector.
- Samsung plans to expand into tokenized securities, stablecoins, and blockchain infrastructure through the partnership.
Several Samsung affiliates are making a major move into South Korea’s crypto industry after agreeing to acquire a combined 4% stake in Dunamu, the parent company of the country’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit.
According to local media reports confirmed by Dunamu, Samsung Securities, Samsung Card, and Samsung SDS will collectively purchase approximately 1.39 million shares in the company for around 613 billion Korean won, or roughly $408 million.
Samsung Securities will acquire a 2% stake, while Samsung Card and Samsung SDS will each purchase 1%.
The shares were previously held by South Korean technology conglomerate Kakao.
The deal highlights the rapidly growing institutional push into digital assets across South Korea as regulators finalize new crypto legislation under the upcoming Digital Asset Basic Act.
Samsung Securities reportedly plans to work with Dunamu on tokenized securities issuance and distribution services, while Samsung Card aims to develop stablecoin-based payment systems through its financial application Monimo.
Samsung SDS, the conglomerate’s technology and logistics arm, is expected to integrate Dunamu’s blockchain expertise into its AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and data infrastructure operations.
Dunamu itself has also been expanding its blockchain ambitions through Giwa, its Ethereum Layer-2 network currently operating in testnet.
The Samsung investment follows another major institutional move earlier this month, when Hana Bank announced a $670 million investment into Dunamu to acquire a 6.55% stake.
South Korea’s largest financial institutions have increasingly accelerated crypto partnerships and pilot programs involving stablecoins, tokenized securities, and onchain payments as lawmakers prepare clearer digital asset regulations.
Other major players, including KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, and Mirae Asset, have also announced crypto-related initiatives over the past year.
The growing wave of institutional investment suggests South Korea is rapidly positioning itself as one of the world’s most active markets for regulated crypto finance and tokenized financial infrastructure.
