South Korea-based digital asset infrastructure firm BDACS has announced that it has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aptos Foundation to jointly build an on-chain commerce environment centered around KRW1, described as the world’s first KRW-pegged stablecoin.
According to the announcement, this collaboration will specifically focus on integrating KRW1 with the Aptos blockchain network. By utilizing a multi-chain infrastructure strategy, the partnership aims to improve stablecoin accessibility, liquidity, and real-world utility.
The agreement marks KRW1’s first integration with the Aptos Move ecosystem among non-EVM blockchain networks, expanding the stablecoin’s reach beyond Ethereum-compatible environments.
Targeting real-world stablecoin adoption
BDACS and the Aptos Foundation stated that the partnership aims to accelerate the practical use of stablecoins across both domestic and global markets.
The companies plan to leverage Aptos’ payment infrastructure and global partnership network to support onchain commerce applications, including blockchain wallet integrations and payment connectivity for large-scale mobile gifting services.
The initiative aims to establish a transparent digital payment environment that enables the active use of stablecoins in everyday commerce and financial transactions.
Harry Ryoo, CEO of BDACS, said Aptos offers the infrastructure needed to support scalable digital finance applications tied to KRW1. “Through this collaboration, KRW1 will establish itself as a widely utilized stablecoin across various user touchpoints both domestically and internationally,” Ryoo shared.
Building tokenized finance infrastructure
Aptos, a high-performance Layer-1 blockchain developed by former members of Meta’s Diem blockchain initiative, has aggressively positioned itself as a major infrastructure layer for tokenized finance and institutional blockchain applications.
According to onchain data, Aptos currently supports more than $580 million in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) alongside approximately $1.7 billion in stablecoins circulating on the network. The blockchain ecosystem has also attracted participation from institutions, including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Apollo, and NBCUniversal.
Ash Pampati, SVP and Head of Growth at Aptos Foundation, said, “Korea is a key market with high retail engagement and active consumer-facing projects. By integrating BDACS’s KRW1 with the Aptos blockchain, we will continue to advance the onchain economy by delivering a global commerce infrastructure,” Pampati said.
The latest move aligns with Aptos’ broader vision of bridging Web3 infrastructure with mainstream consumer bases. In late 2025, Indian telecom giant Reliance Jio partnered with Aptos to launch a blockchain-based rewards pilot targeting its 500 million subscribers, in a move to showcase the network’s capacity for massive real-world deployment.
Stablecoin competition intensifies in Asia
The collaboration comes as stablecoin adoption continues expanding across Asia, with companies and blockchain networks increasingly competing to establish regional digital payment infrastructure tied to fiat-pegged assets.
By combining KRW1’s Korean won-pegged stablecoin model with Aptos’ high-speed blockchain infrastructure, the partnership aims to position itself within the growing global market for regulated digital payments, tokenized assets, and blockchain-based financial services.
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