Mirae Asset Group has moved decisively into Korea’s crypto market by buying a 92% stake in local exchange Korbit. The deal makes Mirae one of the first major Korean financial groups to fully acquire a licensed digital asset platform.
Deal Terms and Who Sold the Stake
Mirae Asset’s consulting arm agreed to buy 26.91 million Korbit shares for ₩133.5 billion, or about $92.27 million. After the transaction closes, Mirae Asset Consulting will hold roughly 92.06% of the exchange.
The majority of the transaction comes from current key shareholders. These include SK Square, SK Planet, and NXC, the parent company of the gaming company Nexon. As part of the agreement, SK Planet revealed that it will sell 9.22 million shares for ₩.7 billion.
Depending on the final terms, the potential acquisition might be worth anywhere from ₩100 to ₩140 billion.
Why Mirae Asset Wants Korbit
Mirae says it is buying Korbit to secure “future growth engines based on digital assets” under its Mirae Asset 3.0 strategy. The group wants to link traditional securities and digital assets and sees owning an exchange as key infrastructure for that push.
Korbit is South Korea’s fourth‑largest crypto exchange, with full licensing and compliance under strict local regulations. That status gives Mirae a ready‑made platform in a market still dominated by Upbit and Bithumb, which control most trading volume.
By using its non‑financial affiliate, Mirae Asset Consulting, the group can own Korbit without breaking rules that separate financial firms from virtual asset operators. Once the acquisition closes, Mirae is expected to become the only domestic securities group that can offer both securities and digital asset services under one corporate umbrella.
The move could position Mirae for future security token offerings if Korea’s STO rules fully roll out and expand. The acquisition also signals that large traditional institutions in Korea now see digital assets as a core business line, rather than just a side bet.
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