Securitize, KB Securities, and Optimism Team Up to Tokenize South Korean Markets
Securitize and KB Securities have formed an agreement to expand tokenization in South Korea. The partnership, also involving Optimism Foundation, will enable the design, issuance, and distribution of regulated investment instruments on public distributed ledgers.
KB Securities' domestic institutional client base and distribution capabilities will be combined with Securitize's regulated tokenization infrastructure and Optimism's Layer 2 network OP Mainnet. The first asset outlined on the roadmap is a tokenized money market fund (MMF), followed by a second investment vehicle focused on a flagship strategy from KB Asset Management.
The regulatory framework in Seoul has progressed, with amendments to the Capital Markets Act and Electronic Securities Act recognizing distributed ledgers as valid legal record-keeping systems for commercial securities. The initial phase of the digital securities framework could come into force on February 4, 2027, allowing institutional private placements of debt and money market funds.
This development marks a significant technical milestone for OP Mainnet, serving as a settlement layer for traditional financial intermediaries across Asia. Securitize manages over $5 billion in tokenized assets worldwide.