KB Kookmin Bank Extends Partnership with Bithumb for Another Year
KB Kookmin Bank has renewed its partnership with Bithumb for another year, securing their real-name deposit and withdrawal account agreement through September 2027. The bank cited the partnership's contribution to its deposit growth strategy as a key factor in extending the contract.
The partnership between KB Kookmin Bank and Bithumb began in March 2025, when Bithumb switched its real-name account banking partner from NongHyup Bank to KB Kookmin Bank. The bank saw significant inflows from cryptocurrency investors since early last year, with demand deposit balances increasing by 25.3 trillion won ($18.6 billion) to reach 176.8 trillion won ($130.1 billion) at the end of the first half.
The renewal of this partnership suggests that the close relationship between banks and cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea will continue. Other partnerships, including KakaoBank-Coinone and K Bank-Upbit, are also being extended or discussed.