Solana Pay Expands into South Korean Market via Partnership with KSNet

South Korean payment solutions provider KSNet has formalized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Solana Foundation to integrate Solana Pay technology into its commercial infrastructure.

The agreement, signed on July 30, 2026, contemplates two proof-of-concept projects focused on the Solana Pay gateway and the x402 protocol. KSNet's processing network connects over 330,000 merchants in South Korea, managing nearly $4 billion in monthly volume.

The technical demonstration of the connection between the blockchain's digital payment standard and KSNet's physical and online merchant network is part of the first phase of the project. This phase includes implementing filters to comply with local regulatory requirements regarding anti-money laundering (AML) and preventing illicit funds from entering the system.

The second phase focuses on analyzing the x402 protocol within KSNet's automated payment systems, which utilizes the HTTP 402 ('Payment Required') status code for micropayments. This tool allows artificial intelligence agents to execute micropayments autonomously when requesting access to application programming interfaces (APIs) or restricted digital content.