August 28, 2026 – Korea’s largest asset manager wants a 150 trillion won digital business built on Digital X, the exchange it bought in July.
In Summary
Mirae Asset aims to build a 150 trillion won, or $109 billion, digital asset business.
Chairman Park Hyeon-joo set the goal at a staff event in Seoul on 27 August 2026.
The target equals about 10% of the group’s 1,500 trillion won in client assets.
Digital X, formerly Korbit, will cover trading, stablecoins, tokenised assets and STOs.
Up to 300 billion won of fresh capital may follow in the first quarter of 2027.
Korea’s biggest asset manager has set a bold number. Mirae Asset Financial Group plans a 150 trillion won digital asset business, worth about $109 billion. Founder and chairman Park Hyeon-joo unveiled the goal at a staff event in Seoul. Digital X, the exchange arm bought in July, sits at the centre of the plan. Notably, the goal carries a firm deadline.
The target leans on an existing client base
Park anchored the figure in the scale the group already owned. Mirae Asset holds about 1,500 trillion won in client assets. The digital target, therefore, equals roughly 10% of that pool. “Our initial goal is to make Digital X a core pillar of ‘Mirae Asset 3.0’,” he said.
Such framing matters for a reason. The group is not chasing new users first. Instead, it plans to route existing wealth clients into token products. Such a path lowers the cost of growth. It also raises the compliance stakes sharply.
How Digital X came together
The build started with a purchase, not a licence application. Mirae Asset Consulting won clearance from Korea’s Fair Trade Commission on 9 July 2026. Then it took 91.7% of Korbit on 22 July. A further 5.42% followed two days later, lifting the stake to 97.15%.
Korbit itself carries history. The venue launched in 2013 as Korea’s first virtual asset exchange. Its operating company took the Digital X name on 23 July 2026. Consequently, a mainstream financial group now owns a licensed Korean exchange outright.
Four business lines, one platform
Digital X will run across four areas. First, crypto trading forms the base. Stablecoins come next, as Korea debates a won-linked framework. Real-world assets follow, with tokenised gold, silver and electricity named directly. Finally, security token offerings complete the set.
The group calls the end state an on-chain finance ecosystem. In practice, that means one app for shares, funds and tokens. Park has described this as a bridge between old and new balance sheets.
Capital and the road to profit
Money will follow the ambition, though carefully. The group is weighing up to 300 billion won of extra capital, or about $218 million. A third-party share allotment of 200 billion to 300 billion won may come in the first quarter of 2027. That step depends on better earnings first. So management targets profiting in 2027.
Restraint here looks deliberate. Indeed, Korean exchange volumes have cooled with prices. Bitcoin traded near $78,676 on 27 August 2026. Meanwhile, retail activity across the region has thinned. Funding tied to results, therefore, protects the parent balance sheet.
Why this matters beyond Korea
Few large managers own an exchange outright. Mirae Asset now does, and it operates across twenty markets. As a result, product built for Seoul can travel. Besides, tokenised funds and stablecoin rails scale well across borders.
Regulation remains the open question, however. Korea is still shaping its rules for won-linked stablecoins. Meanwhile, custody, disclosure and anti-money-laundering rules will set the pace. Park has stressed exemplary compliance across all four business lines. As a result, approval risk now sits ahead of build risk.
What to watch next
Three markers will test the plan. First, watch whether the capital raise lands in early 2027. Second, track Digital X trading volumes against domestic rivals. Third, look for the first tokenised product launch. Above all, watch how much client money actually moves.
The gap between target and reality stays wide today. Still, the intent is unusually specific for a traditional manager. For example, most peers talk only about pilots. Mirae Asset has instead named a number and a deadline.
