South Korea’s Hanwha makes a $13 million bet on ‘seedless’ crypto wallets

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email South Korea’s Hanwha makes a $13 million bet on ‘seedless’ crypto wallets The South Korean financial firm backs the U.S.-based blockchain company to accelerate enterprise wallet technology and real-world asset tokenization. By Jamie Crawley , AI Boost | Edited by Stephen Alpher Feb 19, 2026, 12:20 a.m. Make us preferred on Google (hamedtaha/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk) What to know : Kresus has secured roughly $13 million (KRW 18 billion) from Hanwha Investment & Securities. The funding will support enterprise wallet infrastructure and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization platforms. The deal signals continued institutional investment in blockchain infrastructure despite uneven crypto markets. Wallet infrastructure firm Kresus Labs has raised approximately 18 billion won ($13 million) in investment from Hanwha Investment & Securities, one of South Korea’s largest financial institutions. The investment follows a memorandum of understanding signed in December at Abu Dhabi Finance Week and is aimed at expanding Kresus’ enterprise digital wallet infrastructure, real-world asset (RWA) tokenization platforms and onchain financial workflows. 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 & conditions and privacy policy . The wallet and blockchain infrastructure firm develops digital asset tools for both consumers and institutions, including "seedless" wallet recovery technology and multi-party computation (MPC)-based security systems. Seedless recovery refers to the means of restoring access to a digital asset stored in a wallet without having to use the traditional stream of 12-24 random words, which could prove a barrier to entry for some. Kresus also operates wallet infrastructure and tokenization platforms designed to meet institutional compliance and operational requirements. Hanwha plans to use Kresus’ technology to enhance its client-facing digital asset services and to develop tokenized versions of traditional financial products. For established financial firms, wallet security and compliant tokenization frameworks remain key barriers to deeper engagement with blockchain-based markets. The raise underscores how capital continues to flow into infrastructure providers even when broader crypto markets are volatile . Rather than backing speculative tokens, institutions are increasingly targeting custody, security and tokenization layers that can plug into existing financial systems. Wallets Tokenization Real World Assets South Korea AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards . For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy . More For You Zoomex: Precise Systems of Fairness and Transparency by Design By CoinDesk Jan 31, 2026 Commissioned by Zoomex Read full story More For You Real estate billionaire Barry Sternlicht is ready to tokenize assets, but says U.S. regulation blocks it By Helene Braun | Edited by Aoyon Ashraf 1 hour ago The $125 billion real estate firm wants to offer blockchain-based tokens to clients but is stalled by regulation. What to know : Barry Sternlicht, whose Starwood Capital manages more than $125 billion in assets, says the firm is ready to tokenize real-world assets but is stymied by U.S. regulatory barriers. Sternlicht argues that tokenizing assets like real estate on blockchains could open new ways to raise capital and give investors access to illiquid markets. Praising the technology as "the future," he likens tokenization’s development stage to an earlier stage than that of artificial intelligence and says the world needs to catch up. 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