Korean Blockchain Fund Supports Web3 Game Developer Growth in Southeast Asia

Hana Bank to Establish Joint Digital Asset Custody Venture with BitGoSouth Korean commercial bank Hana Bank announced on Tuesday at Impact, the main event of Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) 2023, that it has signed an agreement with US-based digital asset trust company BitGo to undertake a joint venture for digital asset custody services in Korea.Photo by Chris Liverani on UnsplashBitGo’s Korean branch aims to kick off full-fledged operations for the venture in the second half of next year after obtaining Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification and completing registration as a virtual asset service provider (VASP).Fostering transparency and securityThe two entities will collaborate through multiple approaches, such as considering equity investments in the joint venture, working together on BitGo’s security solutions and digital asset custody technology, and leveraging Hana Bank’s expertise in financial services, security, and compliance. The scope of the partnership will expand as time goes on, they said.“By working with a global leader, we will contribute greatly to the enhancement of confidence in the Korean digital asset market as well as consumer protection,” Hana Bank said.BitGo’s ongoing global expansionBitGo has been offering digital asset custody services to institutional clients since 2013, serving over 1,500 institutions in more than 50 countries, including the US, Switzerland, and Germany. It also provides custodial services for over 700 different digital assets, including Bitcoin.“We aim to establish a long-term foundation in the Korean market, in line with the expected growth of the security token market there,” said Mike Belshe, CEO and Co-Founder of BitGo.

HashKey Group, the operator of one of Hong Kong's two licensed crypto exchanges, declared its newfound unicorn status on Tuesday, having successfully raised nearly $100 million in a recent funding round.Photo by Markus Winkler on UnsplashSeries A funding roundThe term "unicorn" denotes privately held companies valued at $1 billion or more, reflecting the remarkable achievement for HashKey in the rapidly evolving crypto landscape. With a valuation now surpassing $1.2 billion, HashKey positions itself as a major player in the crypto space within East and Southeast Asia. It’s leveraging its activities that span trading platforms, venture funding, wealth management and asset management in key locations like Hong Kong and Singapore. Its Singapore arm was awarded a capital markets license by the local regulator in December. Undisclosed investorsThe fundraising initiative was first reported in May of last year and later announced by HashKey in August. It attracted contributions from both existing and new investors. While the company refrained from divulging specific investor names, it referred to them as "prominent institutional investors" and "leading Web3 institutions," signaling a mix of established entities and those already at the forefront of Web3 innovation. It was previously disclosed that the company has been backed by the support of OKX Ventures, the investment arm of the well-known OKX digital asset exchange. The funds secured will serve a dual purpose – fostering the development of a robust Web3 ecosystem and supporting licensed products in Hong Kong. HashKey's diverse business arms, including asset management, a blockchain node validation service, a tokenization service, and a Web3 incubation arm, are set to benefit from the fresh capital infusion. The allocation of funds towards these ventures aligns with HashKey's strategic vision to contribute significantly to the evolving crypto ecosystem. Hong Kong hubHong Kong, eager to establish itself as a digital asset hub, has been the backdrop for HashKey's growth. The city's dedicated virtual-asset regulatory framework, introduced in June, aims to attract companies while prioritizing investor protection. Under this framework, retail investors can trade major tokens such as Bitcoin and Ether on licensed exchanges, with HashKey Exchange and BC Technology Group Ltd.’s OSL currently leading the way. Despite the optimism surrounding Hong Kong's potential as a crypto hub, uncertainties linger. The city's ability to support multiple crypto exchanges and the long-term commitment of officials to the sector remain open questions, given its susceptibility to occasional scandals. Since commencing its retail trading service in late August, HashKey Exchange has garnered over 155,000 registered users. The platform's 24-hour spot trading volume is estimated at approximately $11 million, according to CoinMarketCap data as of this writing. While this figure may pale in comparison to Binance, the world's largest crypto platform, HashKey's focus on building a resilient and user-friendly ecosystem positions it as a strong contender in the crypto industry's ongoing evolution. The successful funding round and unicorn status attained by HashKey underscore the renewed optimism in the crypto venture capital landscape. Following a market slump in 2022 and various challenges faced by crypto startups, the recent resurgence in token prices has reignited hopes for a more favorable venture capital outlook.

Zettai Pte Ltd., the Singapore-based holding company that controls Indian crypto exchange WazirX through its subsidiary Zanmai India, has filed an application for a moratorium with the Singaporean High Court, under section 64 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018. Six months requestedIn the filing (HC/OA 861/2024), the company has pleaded with the court to be granted a six-month moratorium, which would give the firm the space and time needed to restructure its liabilities. The company laid out details of its moratorium application in a blog post published to its website on August 28. The firm outlined that a moratorium represents “ the most efficient way to address users’ cryptocurrency balances on the Platform and facilitate recovery for users.” An automatic moratorium of 30 days has effectively been granted as a consequence of the application itself, and it is up to the court if it approves the six-month moratorium that is being sought. A date for the hearing of that matter has yet to be scheduled.Photo by Palu Malerba on Pexels$234 million hack falloutWazirX has been dealing with the fallout from a $234 million hack which occurred in July. One key entity that is owed funds is Indian crypto app CoinSwitch. In an effort to get its funds back, the company has sued WazirX. Taking to the X social media platform, CoinSwitch outlined why it felt the need to take legal action. It stated: "From the day of the incident, we have tried to be in constant touch with the WazirX team, seeking recovery of the funds that are stuck on their exchange. However, our efforts have not come to fruition." In a follow-up tweet, CoinSwitch assured its own users that its exposure to WazirX has no impact on user balances. The company has WazirX exposure that amounts to 2% of its overall user funds. That exposure is reduced further if WazirX’ claim that only ERC-20 tokens were affected is taken on board, accounting for 1% of CoinSwitch user deposits. White KnightWazirX co-founder Nischal Shetty spoke to the notion of a “white knight” in an affidavit submitted under the Zettai name to support the application. He outlined that WazirX is in talks with 11 crypto exchanges and has signed three non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). The company has also received offers for financing and for partnering with Zettai, the WazirX parent company. WazirX has outlined that it has set aside $12 million in digital assets to cover legal and associated costs that the company anticipates incurring as part of its restructuring efforts. Matters are further compounded by the fact that a cloud hangs over the ownership of the company. Shetty has claimed that he is no longer an owner of the exchange. In 2022, he wrote that Binance had acquired WazirX. Around the same time frame, Binance’s Changpeng Zhao (CZ) outlined that Binance didn’t control WazirX systems.  India’s economic intelligence agency, the Enforcement Directorate, has claimed in the past that Shetty has gone out of his way to obscure the ownership structure by way of a complex chain of companies in Singapore.