Korbit, South Korea’s pioneer cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2013, has officially joined the fold of traditional finance giant Mirae Asset Group. The exchange announced Thursday that Mirae Asset Consulting, an affiliate of the group which reportedly managed $1 trillion in assets as of May, has acquired Korbit’s shares through mandated regulatory reporting procedures to become its largest shareholder.
The acquiring entity, Mirae Asset Consulting, also oversees the group’s hospitality and golf course portfolio and now reportedly holds a 97.15% stake in the exchange. Despite the takeover, the announcement clarified that there are no corporate changes to Korbit Co., Ltd., the entity that continues to operate the platform.
For Korbit users, the acquisition brings no immediate operational disruption. The exchange confirmed that core services—including login access, trading, deposits, and withdrawals—will proceed without interruption. Additionally, customer deposits and virtual assets will remain strictly segregated from corporate funds in compliance with South Korea’s Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users, with personal data handling policies remaining completely unchanged.
The transaction highlights a growing trend of legacy financial institutions acquiring established crypto platforms to expand their presence in the digital asset ecosystem. In South Korea, where retail cryptocurrency trading volumes frequently rival traditional stock markets, securing an established, licensed exchange serves as a critical strategic entry point.
A similar trajectory is unfolding elsewhere in Asia, notably with Japanese conglomerate SBI Group agreeing to acquire Tokyo-based Bitbank for $289 million while securing a majority stake in Singapore-based Coinhako. Media inquiries have been directed to both Mirae and Korbit for further comments on the acquisition.
