Crypto.com is partnering with South Korea’s largest payment gateway, KG Inicis, to enable foreign visitors to pay in crypto. The deal plugs Crypto.com Pay into a merchant network that handles over 400 million transactions a year. Travellers will be able to use digital assets for everyday spending at Korean stores and online K‑commerce sites.
The companies announced the deal on March 17, 2026, saying they want to scale digital asset payments for foreign travellers.
KG Inicis operates Korea’s leading integrated payment platform and processes more than 400 million transactions annually. By integrating Crypto.com Pay, it plans to encourage merchants across its network to accept crypto from international users.
How the Partnership Will Work
Under the agreement, Crypto.com Pay will become a payment option across the KG Inicis merchant network for foreign visitors. That means tourists will be able to spend supported digital assets on a wide range of goods and services in Korea.
The integration also targets K‑commerce, enabling international users to pay with crypto on Korean online platforms that integrate with KG Inicis. The goal is to cut friction from foreign card fees and currency conversion while keeping settlement inside Korea’s existing payment rails.
Crypto.com President and COO Eric Anziani called KG Inicis’ merchant network “unrivalled,” noting its roughly 40% market share in Korea’s payment gateway sector. He said the partnership aims to give users more flexibility over how and when they spend their digital assets while supporting Korean tourism.
Why Crypto.com Is Doubling Down on South Korea
This deal builds on Crypto.com’s several years of groundwork in the Korean market. In 2022, the exchange secured Electronic Financial Transaction Act and Virtual Asset Service Provider registrations by acquiring local firms PnLink and OK‑BIT. In April 2024, it launched a localized trading app for Korean users based on the OK‑BIT licence.
KG Inicis sees the move as part of a wider shift in how people make payments. The company wants to grow its infrastructure so people can use digital assets in everyday economic activity. It also aims to maintain a strong legal and regulatory framework for these new payment options.
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