South Korean financial group Mirae Asset eyes crypto exchange Korbit acquisition: report

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email South Korean financial group Mirae Asset eyes crypto exchange Korbit acquisition: report The financial group is in talks to acquire a 92% stake in Korbit for a as much as 140 billion won ($97 million). By Jamie Crawley | Edited by Sheldon Reback Dec 29, 2025, 10:59 a.m. Seoul, South Korea (csk/Pixabay, modified by CoinDesk) What to know : Seoul-based Mirae Asset is considering buying South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Korbit. The financial group is in talks to acquire a 92% stake for as much as 140 billion won ($97 million). The exchange is the fourth-largest in terms of trading volume out of the six incorporated in South Korea. Mirae Asset, a Seoul-based financial group, is considering buying South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Korbit, the Korea Times reported on Monday . The company is in talks to acquire 92% oof Korbit for as much as 140 billion won ($97 million), according to the report, which cited industry officials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . Mirae Asset, which offers asset management, wealth management, investment banking and insurance, is a prominent company in traditional finance (TradFi) in South Korea. The acquisition would be its first involvement in a cryptocurrency-related business. One unidentified official noted that Mirae founder Park Hyeon-joo has emphasized exploring opportunities in connecting traditional and digital assets, according to the report. “Korbit has historically had a limited presence, but Mirae Asset Financial Group’s decades of expertise could allow it to pursue a differentiated strategy,” the official added. The exchange is the fourth-largest in terms of trading volume out of the six incorporated in South Korea, according to CoinGecko . Its 24-hour volume of $11.8 million is dwarfed by Upbit's $1.2 billion and Bithumb's $475 million. Coinone sits in third place with volume of $58 million. Neither Mirae Asset nor Korbit responded to CoinDesk's request for further comment. Read More: Crypto M&A hits record $8.6 billion in 2025 as Trump’s regulatory stance spurs deals South Korea Seoul Korbit Acquisitions mergers and acquisitions More For You State of the Blockchain 2025 By CoinDesk Research Dec 19, 2025 Commissioned by Input Output Group L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below. What to know : 2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns. This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026. View Full Report More For You Uniswap's token burn, protocol fee proposal backed overwhelmingly by voters By Sheldon Reback Dec 26, 2025 The proposal, which transforms UNI into a value-accruing asset, received more than 125 million votes in support with just 742 dissenting. What to know : Uniswap's proposal to activate protocol fees and burn UNI tokens received overwhelming support from voters. The initiative will transform the token into a value-accruing asset and link protocol usage to token supply reduction. Read full story Latest Crypto News Bitcoin reverses early gains, drops below $88,000 as Nasdaq futures wilt 27 minutes ago Bitcoin whales have been the main accumulators in the $80,000 range 55 minutes ago Tokenized silver volumes explode as metal's price rises to record 2 hours ago Digital yuan holdings to earn interest under China's new framework 4 hours ago XRP and Cardano need to prove they're useful beyond just fans, Mike Novogratz says 4 hours ago Bitcoin tops $90,000, oil rises as Russia-Ukraine peace hopes falter 6 hours ago Top Stories Bitcoin reverses early gains, drops below $88,000 as Nasdaq futures wilt 27 minutes ago Digital yuan holdings to earn interest under China's new framework 4 hours ago Tokenized silver volumes explode as metal's price rises to record 2 hours ago Ethereum’s ‘Hegota’ upgrade slated for late 2026 as devs accelerate roadmap 20 hours ago Bitcoin whales have been the main accumulators in the $80,000 range 55 minutes ago XRP and Cardano need to prove they're useful beyond just fans, Mike Novogratz says 4 hours ago