Key Highlights
- Securitize, KB Securities, and Optimism signed an MOU to explore tokenized securities for institutional investors in Korea.
- KB Securities plans to initially develop a tokenized money market fund and a fund based on a KB Asset Management strategy.
- The partnership combines KB Securities’ capital-markets and distribution capabilities with Securitize’s regulated tokenization infrastructure and Optimism’s blockchain technology.
Securitize, a financial technology company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with KB Securities and Optimism Foundation to explore the development of tokenized securities for institutional investors in Korea.
According to the official announcement on Wednesday, the agreement combines KB Securities’ distribution and capital-markets capabilities, Securitize’s regulated tokenization infrastructure, and Optimism’s blockchain technology.
Securitize Chief Operating Officer Billy Miller joined representatives from KB Securities and the Optimism Foundation for the signing. KB Securities is described as one of Korea’s leading securities firms, with established underwriting, issuance, and distribution capabilities that enable it to reach institutional investors at scale.
Initial tokenized products
Under the collaboration, KB Securities plans to begin with a tokenized money market fund and a fund structured around a KB Asset Management flagship strategy. Both products are intended for institutional clients. The firm is also examining the distribution in Korea of existing tokenized funds offered by global asset managers.
The announcement further states that, as Korea’s regulatory framework for digital assets develops, the collaboration is expected to extend beyond the initial funds. Possible areas of expansion include stocks, American depositary receipts, corporate bonds, and Korean government bonds. The parties stated that the arrangement is intended to support a wider range of institutional on-chain investment products in the Korean market.
Prior Securitize activity in tokenized markets
On September 3, Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and Securitize signed a separate memorandum of understanding. That agreement established a framework for technical and regulatory collaboration focused on digital asset infrastructure and tokenized financial markets within Dubai.
The parties agreed to engage in knowledge sharing, ecosystem development, and joint initiatives. The collaboration includes evaluation of tokenization projects initiated or facilitated by the regulatory authority, as well as private-sector deployments operating under Dubai’s legal framework.
Developments in Korea’s tokenized securities infrastructure
On September 7, Hanwha Investment & Securities completed development of a tokenized securities platform that supports both Avalanche and Hyperledger Besu. The platform was built with blockchain technology firm FairSquare Lab and is designed to operate across multiple distributed ledger networks rather than a single chain.
The platform is being developed ahead of South Korea’s first-phase tokenized-securities framework, which is scheduled to take effect on Feb. 4, 2027. The development coincides with amendments to the Electronic Securities Act and the Capital Markets Act that would recognize distributed ledgers as valid securities registers.
Institutional focus of the new agreement
The memorandum with KB Securities and Optimism centers on institutional investors. KB Securities’ existing capital-markets infrastructure is positioned to handle underwriting, issuance, and distribution of the planned tokenized products. Securitize contributes its regulated tokenization platform, while Optimism supplies the underlying blockchain technology. The initial focus on a money market fund and a flagship strategy fund provides a defined starting point before any broader expansion into equities, bonds, or other instruments.
All details regarding the memorandum of understanding, the planned products, the parties involved, and the regulatory context are drawn from the companies’ public statements and prior reported developments. Feature availability and product timelines remain subject to applicable regulatory approvals in Korea.
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