KuCoin Ups Compliance via Mandatory KYC

Woori Bank Joins Forces with Samsung Securities and SK Securities to Pioneer Security Token MarketWoori Bank has recently forged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Samsung Securities and SK Securities, aiming to swiftly venture into the security token market in anticipation of the forthcoming institutionalization of security tokens in South Korea, according to local news outlet Dailian.Photo by Anna Evlanova on UnsplashKorea’s regulatory pathway for security tokensIn February, the Financial Services Commission unveiled guidelines for regulating the issuance and distribution of security tokens. This initiative aligns with the South Korean government’s broader goal of driving innovation in digital finance. Following this, the National Assembly conducted a public hearing on the proposed legislation. Additionally, the Financial Supervisory Service organized an informative session discussing the updated application procedure for investment contract securities and the corresponding examination protocols. As a result, the outlines of the regulatory framework are beginning to take on a more defined form.Compliance with regulatory frameworkWoori Bank President Byung-Kyu Cho, Samsung Securities President Chang Seok-hoon, and SK Securities CEO Kim Shin were present at the signing ceremony. During this event, the three financial institutions agreed to embark on their collaborative efforts to explore business models for security tokens in compliance with the regulatory framework. Their aims include constructing the infrastructure for security tokens and validating distributed ledgers, as well as forming Finance 3.0 Partners (F3P), a collaborative consortium dedicated to formulating investor protection measures.Three entities’ individual endeavorsWoori Bank has undertaken extensive preparations to make its foray into the security token market. In an effort to swiftly adapt to the changing legal dynamics surrounding security tokens, the bank has established a dedicated division and is operating a task force responsible for devising strategic approaches, with participation from Woori Financial Group’s affiliates. By partnering closely with the securities firms, Woori aims to leverage its wealth of corporate finance expertise to identify innovative business models.Samsung Securities has successfully concluded its own functional verification of the security token platform. Furthermore, the company has secured the technology necessary to connect blockchain wallets and securities accounts. These efforts will contribute to providing stable services. Samsung is also anticipating the utilization of security tokens as a fresh avenue for financing, collaborating with various enterprises to discover their practical applications. Through these endeavors, the company intends to offer attractive and stable investment products to its clientele.SK Securities stands out as the sole Korean securities firm to have established an account management system for security tokens, with the intention of seeking designation as an innovative financial service by the Financial Services Commission. Initiatives chosen as innovative financial services are granted regulatory exemptions. SK Securities has partnered with a variety of fractional investment firms to spearhead the research and development of security token issuance and distribution systems. It also plans to collaborate with experts in the domains of finance, technology, and content. This joint effort aims to build the infrastructure necessary to create a financial ecosystem that welcomes diverse participants and creates new value.An F3P official highlighted that this tripartite partnership would facilitate the alignment of their members’ security token products with regulatory guidelines. The person also mentioned their commitment to swiftly establishing a top-notch platform and ecosystem that will help position them as market leaders.

Circle and SBI Holdings join forces to propel USDC growth in JapanIn a move aimed at advancing the adoption of the USD Coin (USDC) in the Japanese market, stablecoin issuer Circle and Japanese financial behemoth SBI Holdings have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU).Photo by Alex Knight on UnsplashBanking and distributionThe collaboration, outlined in a press release published on Monday, seeks to enhance the circulation of USDC, establish a robust banking relationship and broaden the footprint of Circle in the Asian nation.Key subsidiaries of SBI Holdings are set to play pivotal roles in this strategic partnership. SBI’s VC Trade Limited, among others, will actively engage by applying for licensing as an electronic payment instruments service, facilitating the distribution of USDC across Japan. Notably, this move aligns with efforts to propel the electronic payment ecosystem in the country.Further solidifying the collaboration, SBI’s Shinsei Bank will provide crucial banking services that empower access to USDC and enhance liquidity for businesses and users based in Japan. This initiative not only promotes the widespread usage of USDC but also establishes a secure financial infrastructure for its seamless integration into the Japanese market.Web3 service offeringAs part of this collaboration, the SBI Group plans to incorporate Circle’s Web3 Services solutions, encompassing programmable wallets, blockchain infrastructure and smart contract management tools.Circle has been busy in recent weeks, rolling out partnerships in the Asian region that will see greater use of its Web3 Services suite. In Taiwan, it partnered with a convenience store chain recently, in a move that will integrate its Web3 services into the Taiwan FamilyMart app. A similar deal was struck in September with Grab, a Southeast Asian multifaceted super-app.Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, expressed the groundbreaking nature of this partnership, envisioning USDC as a stablecoin that can be extensively utilized in Japan’s burgeoning on-chain economy across various consumer-led Web3 product categories.Allaire had signaled an interest in delving further into the Japanese market back in July. Then, he suggested that the company might consider launching a stablecoin in Japan but that it was also interested in exploring partnerships in the East Asian country.Yoshitaka Kitao, CEO of SBI Holdings, commended Japanese authorities for creating a regulatory environment conducive to the adoption of stablecoins within the region. In June, Japan passed legislation mandating that stablecoins must be fully backed by highly liquid cash and cash-equivalent assets, preventing a recurrence of issues experienced by certain stablecoins.SBI’s digital asset involvementWhile Circle has very much been advancing its service offering in the Asian region in 2023, likewise SBI has been delving further into the realm of digital assets and Web3. In April it led a funding round into Standard Chartered subsidiary company Zodia Custody, a digital asset custodian. SBI has also invested in Zodia Markets, an exchange and brokerage platform which is also a Standard Chartered subsidiary company.SBI Holdings established the Osaka Digital Exchange (ODX) in 2021, a crypto exchange business which will commence security token trading next month. In a social media post on the X platform, Allaire highlighted SBI’s involvement in the digital assets space:“Importantly, Kitao-san is not a ‘johnny come lately’ to crypto and blockchain tech. He has understood it and invested in it for nearly a decade. SBI Holdings already operates digital asset trading, brokerage and cross-border payments solutions.”

LINE NEXT Captivates NFT Aficionados with Beta Launch of DOSI LandLINE NEXT, an American-based NFT platform subsidiary of Tokyo-headquartered messaging app developer Line Corporation, has launched the beta version of DOSI Land, the FINSCHIA token (FNSA) reward program on its global non-fungible token (NFT) platform, DOSI. This program aims to provide opportunities for its membership owners, known as DOSI Citizens, to win FNSA.Photo by Markus Winkler on PexelsWeekly token rewardsDOSI Land is a weekly program that rewards FNSA to lottery winners. However, only DOSI Citizens with Level 2 or above are eligible to participate in this event. DOSI Citizens are categorized into four levels, ranging from Level 1 to Level 4. Users can achieve attendance goals, invite friends, and make NFT transactions to elevate their Citizen status. It’s important to note that this program is not available in some countries, including the United States and Japan.DOSI Land comprises three lands: Emerald Orbit, Sapphire Starlight, and Golden Galaxy. Each land is accessible to Citizen Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 users, respectively. Every week, a total of 3,000 FNSA will be distributed, with each land offering different chances of winning the token. Furthermore, each land has three zones, and users can participate in one zone per land. Participation in each zone requires DON, a membership point earned based on the total NFT transaction amount, and Level-up Passes, which are needed to improve Citizen status.DOSI operates the DOSI Citizen Membership system, which rewards users based on their contributions to the ecosystem. Alongside DOSI Land, DOSI has also implemented other reward programs such as DOSI Adventure and DOSI Arcade, offering a variety of NFTs to membership owners.As part of its efforts to expand the DOSI ecosystem, LINE NEXT incentivizes FNSA rewards to users actively engaging in DOSI through DOSI Land. The company plans to continue offering various benefits to DOSI users.DOSI’s presenceSince its beta launch, DOSI has attracted 4.6 million membership owners, facilitating over 410,000 transactions and involving 190,000 traders. These figures are as of May 2023. LINE NEXT cites NFT data analysis platform NFT Go’s statistics to state that DOSI is Asia’s largest and the world’s third largest platform in terms of monthly NFT traders. With its mission to establish a global ecosystem for NFTs and Web3, LINE NEXT aims to foster a thriving NFT platform business.The Finschia FoundationIn March of this year, the Finschia Foundation was established in Abu Dhabi, UAE, by Line Tech Plus, a Singaporean-based subsidiary of Line Corporation. This establishment was an effort to expand the corporation’s global Web3 endeavors. Line Corporation is a subsidiary of Z Holdings, jointly owned by South Korea’s Internet search engine provider Naver and Japanese technology investor Softbank Group.The Finschia Foundation operates Line’s open blockchain mainnet Finschia and rebranded its native crypto asset LINK (LN) to FINSCHIA (FNSA) last month. FNSA is currently listed on crypto exchanges Bithumb, Bittrex, and Huobi, according to CoinMarketCap.