Mirae Asset Nears $100M Deal for Korea’s Pioneer Crypto Exchange Korbit

Mirae Asset Consulting, a subsidiary of South Korea's $342 billion financial giant Mirae Asset Group, has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire Korbit in a deal valued at 100-140 billion won ($72-$100 million). The potential acquisition marks traditional finance's accelerating encroachment into digital assets through regulated gateways.

Korbit holds historic significance as Korea's first bitcoin exchange (2013) and maintains full operational licensing—a rarity among crypto platforms. Its compliance infrastructure and domestic market penetration make it a prime target for institutional buyers seeking turnkey crypto exposure.

The exchange's ownership structure reveals strategic positioning: NXC Corporation (parent of gaming titan Nexon) and subsidiary Simple Capital Futures control 60.5%, with SK Square—the tech investment arm spun off from SK Telecom—holding the remainder. This corporate backing has sustained Korbit through multiple crypto winters.