KB Securities and Securitize Sign Tokenization MOU for Korea's Institutional Market
Three firms sign an exploratory Korea tokenization MOU
KB Securities, a major Korean broker, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Securitize and Optimism to explore tokenized securities for institutional investors in Korea. The agreement is exploratory, meaning no product has been approved or launched yet. OP Mainnet, an Ethereum layer 2 network that runs alongside the main Ethereum blockchain to reduce transaction costs, has been identified as the intended settlement layer.
Securitize said the agreement brings together KB Securities' distribution and capital-markets capabilities, Securitize's regulated tokenization infrastructure, and Optimism's blockchain technology.
Proposed roles for each party
- KB Securities — would sponsor, issue and distribute the tokenized products.
- Securitize — would advise on market structure and later serve as tokenization platform, fund administrator or transfer agent, depending on the final structure.
- Optimism — would provide technical infrastructure and integration support.
- OP Mainnet — identified as the intended settlement blockchain.
Optimism gives different accounts of the first product
On X, Optimism posted: "First we're building a tokenized bond. Equities and more next." However, Optimism's longer blog post published the same day says the collaboration intends to start with a tokenized money market fund and a fund based on a KB Asset Management flagship strategy. Both statements come from the same organization on the same day, and the source material does not resolve which is the intended first product.
The blog post separately lists stocks and American depositary receipts (a type of certificate traded on US markets that represents ownership in a foreign company), corporate bonds and Korean government bonds among instruments the partners may pursue later.
Korea's regulatory timetable and what the MOU does not change
The Financial Services Commission of Korea has published a roadmap under which an amended Electronic Registration Act will take effect on February 4, 2027. That date marks the start of the first phase of conventional securities tokenization, which covers privately pooled money market funds, bonds reserved exclusively for institutional investors, unlisted shares using a trust structure, and publicly offered fractional-investment securities.
The MOU does not bypass any of these rules. A security-token issuer must still meet legally mandated procedures and qualifications, make a notification, and apply to the Korea Securities Depository for electronic registration. Tokenized offerings remain securities under Korea's capital-markets law and must comply with the same registration and disclosure rules as ordinary securities. Firms already licensed for financial-investment business will not need a separate authorization solely to handle tokenized securities within their existing licensed activities, although over-the-counter intermediation will require prior consultation with the Financial Supervisory Service.
What is confirmed
The MOU exists and names OP Mainnet as the intended blockchain. The three parties have assigned proposed roles. Korea's first regulatory phase is scheduled for February 2027.
What remains unclear
The exact first product has not been settled. Optimism's X post and its blog post give different answers. Securitize's final role is conditional on how the overall structure is defined. No product has been filed with Korean regulators, and no specific launch timeline has been announced.
Why this matters for Korea's capital markets
The agreement aligns a major Korean broker, a regulated tokenization platform, and a public blockchain operator with a concrete date on Korea's regulatory roadmap. If it reaches execution, it would represent one of the first institutional tokenized-securities offerings in the country. The exploratory nature of the MOU means there is no guarantee a product will be approved or that the named parties will retain their proposed roles.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.