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Korean University To Issue Diploma Degree on Blockchain Following Coronavirus 

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  • South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology, POSTECH is reportedly issuing diplomas on top of blockchain technology. 
  • Coronavirus fear has led the university to take this step.

What’s New?

POSTECH is a science and technology university located in Pohang, South Korea. South Korean’s Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN) was told by an unknown university official that the university feels it is unsafe for all students to gather for the graduation ceremony, particularly after Coronavirus has its presence across China. That fear led to the university issuing a digital diploma certificate.

The University will send a personal email that contains QR-code and a link to their diploma degree stored on the blockchain to all the graduates (precisely 828 graduates).

Adding further, the official also informed that even if a student is not able to visit the school, the diploma certificate will be sent online to the student encrypted with Blockchain technology. This certificate is created using “broof”, a Blockchain certification service handled by a Korean company ICONLOOP.

Back in June 2019, POSTECH had already issued Blockchain technology certificates. The Blockchain certificates were issued for the Blockchain CEO course.

Looking at the changes brought by POSTECH, other educational institutions have also shown their interest in Blockchain-based certificates.

For example, MIT Media Lab has also created a number of prototypes and tested them. They shared digital credentials with their Media Lab Directors and Media Lab Alumni.

How impactful will this change be? What’s next going further?

Reports suggest that POSTECH is now planning for a Blockchain-based voting system. POSTECH is presently working on developing a Blockchain-based voting survey system called Voting for Students.

Reportedly, POSTECH and Yonsei University in SEOUL had also announced their plans to create a Blockchain campus back in April 2019 last year.

Also, it was reported by iHodl that ICONLOOP has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Productivity Center (KPC), the first consulting educational firm in Korea, to build a blockchain-based industrial ecosystem.

Considering the advantages of Blockchain technology, POSTECH is also in the process of using Blockchain technology in various management level certificates, using digital way at the time of school enrolment, providing other graduate degrees and grades in digital form. Reportedly, these projects will be running as pilot projects in schools. It will start as early as this year. This will ultimately reduce the cost of building and maintaining the database to store information. Also, this will reduce the cost of maintaining paper-based certificates.

Consequently, students will have access to their certificates easily anywhere across the globe. It will also keep their data safe from any suspicious activities, fraud, and scams happening around the globe.

North Korea’s Lazarus Targets Crypto Users in UK and China

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In the latest series of reports, it has been revealed that North Korean Lazarus Group were targetting cryptocurrency holdings in the United Kingdom as well as other countries. At the same time, the United Nations has asked people to stay away from an upcoming conference in the closed-off country.

Cryptocurrency scams have taken up a lot of air time recently with each one being more devious and massive than the last. This has also been one of the main reasons why a lot of institutions refrain from entering the decentralized ecosystem.

North Korea's Lazarus Targets Crypto Users in UK and China
Lazarus Targets Crypto Users in UK and China

The Lazarus Group is a cult hacker organization known for audacious cyber heists around the world. The group, which is based out of North Korea and as per sources, were accused of launching waves of attacks on several regions in a bid to collect massive amounts of cryptocurrencies. Some have even claimed that the stolen capital will be used to fund the autocratic regime run by Kim Jong-Un.

Although Pyongyang has denied all said allegations, investigations are still being conducted to confirm the actual source and perpetrators. Kaspersky Labs, the cybersecurity company had assigned researchers to track the fund trial. They discovered that the UK was one of several countries to be hit with this menace, a list that also included Poland, Russia and China.

Kaspersky confirmed that a majority of the victims were linked to crypto business entities. Hackers usually prefer cryptocurrencies because legal agencies have no way of tracking such expenditure of transfers.

The Lazarus group has also dabbled in spreading a malware called UnionCCryptoTrader via the popular messaging platform Telegram. The malware usually targets critical data on the user’s phone rendering all information privy to phishing. The scares about the cyber attacks were not the only events connected to North Korea.

Yesterday, the United Nations issued a warning to proposed visitors attending the NK CryptoCon in North Korea. The regulatory body stated that going to the conference would be a direct sanctions violation, according to a confidential report due to be submitted to the UNSC.

The conference website clearly pointed out that any citizens could enter the premises except for natives from South Korea, Japan and Israel. This message was clearly of paramount importance because it was displayed on the conference website saying:

“We will provide a paper visa separated from your passport, so there will be no evidence of your entry to the country. Your participation will never be disclosed from our side unless you publicize it on your own.”

The warning came directly in conjunction with reports about Lazarus and how the funds were channelled to run shady deals. The investigations were conducted by independent UN experts who passed the information onto the General Assembly.

United Nations Warns Against Attending North Korea Cryptocurrency Conference

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In recent years, North Korea has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. From doing tests on nuclear weapons to the government sponsoring hackers, the land of morning calm has them all. The nation has been subject to UN’s sanctions since 2006 as a result of its active nuclear and ballistic missile programs. These sanctions among other barriers force nations to avoid “financial transactions, technical training, advice, services or assistance,” in the instance that it could aid in the flourishing of the missile programs or help North Korea dodge sanctions.

Recently, the country announced it will host a cryptocurrency and blockchain conference in February and everyone is invited. In any case, sanction experts at the United Nations have forewarned anybody considering attending the conference to forget about it.

The UN has flagged the February conference as a potential sanctions violation according to a report by Reuters. Moreover, the sanction experts have laid down their advice in a confidential report to be tendered to the United Nations Security Council later this month. The UN has been closely monitoring the Asian state and its utility of blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Back in November 2019, the UN claimed that North Korea had been involved in money laundering activity through a shell firm posing as a “shipping and logistics firm run on a blockchain platform.” In addition, the UN has also been watching the nation’s crypto-focused hacking stunts. It claims that the exploits made the country more than $2 billion. However, North Korea denied the claims.

American Ethereum Developer Arrested for Travelling to N. Korea to Discuss Crypto

The warning against attending the conference in North Korea doesn’t come as a surprise given the recent arrest of American ethereum developer Virgil Griffith. Griffith was indicted by the authorities for allegedly conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The Ethereum Foundation researcher traveled to North Korea for its first blockchain and cryptocurrency conference back in April 2019. While there, Griffith and other conference attendees supposedly discussed cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies. The United States government asserts that Griffith’s presence could have assisted North Korea to circumnavigate international sanctions.  In addition, the prosecutors in Griffith’s case claims that he had been persuading other United States citizens to take part in the conference.

According to the conference’s website, all are invited except citizens of South Korea, Japan, and Israel. In addition, it claims that the visitor’s passports will not be stamped:

“We will provide a paper visa separated from your passport, so there will be no evidence of your entry to the country. Your participation will never be disclosed from our side unless you publicize it on your own.”

Korea’s Mystery Conference

Moving forward, North Korea first declared it would be hosting a blockchain and cryptocurrency conference in August 2018. The event was planned to take place two months later and the last two days. However, very minimal information was shared. It was claimed that the conference would conclude with a meet and greet between North Korea’s industry leaders and experts.

However, a report emerged that the conference was later postponed. Up to this point, it is not known if the event took place at all.

A year later, news emerged that the Asian nation was planning to develop its own digital currency in order to evade the strict international sanctions. The evidence of this was scanty. Whatever North Korea is trying to achieve with cryptocurrency and blockchain, I don’t believe we need experts to warn us against it.

 

North Korea’s use of digital currency might severely damage the crypto industry

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The United States is already infamous for the lack of love for Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies. The country’s regulators do not seem to be doing much in terms of regulating the sector, and many questions remain unanswered. Crypto-entrepreneurs are discouraged from starting the businesses there, as many fear the things could turn south for the crypto sector in the USA at any time.

This negative stance towards digital currencies only worsened in recent weeks, especially after Facebook posted an announcement about its Libra coin. It is safe to say that nobody among the US government officials appreciated the news, and even the US President Donald Trump felt obligated to tweet about virtual assets, acknowledging them publicly for the first time.

President Trump clearly stated his distaste for cryptocurrencies, directly naming Bitcoin and Libra in his tweets, seemingly concerned about potential illicit uses. Criminals have indeed used crypto in unlawful activities such as cybercrime, ransomware, money laundering, and more. However, it does not appear that the negativity towards cryptocurrencies will stop anytime soon, especially not after the recent report from the United Nations.

The new report commented on the recent development of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction program.  According to the UN, the rogue nation seems to have recently found a new way to fund its criminal operation. They used hacking attacks against significant crypto exchanges where they stole the stored funds. The move is likely only to increase the gap between cryptocurrency and the US authorities, further convincing them that criminals only use crypto.

The future of crypto in the US looks grim

After Trump’s anti-Bitcoin tweets, the Secretary of Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, did pretty much the same. He voiced his concerns regarding digital currencies, stating that they might be used for supporting billions of dollars of illicit activity.

He highlighted some of the activities directly, including tax evasion, drug trafficking, cybercrime, extortion, human trafficking, and ransomware. After expressing their concerns, the high-ranking US officials only need a single example of crypto misuse to demonize digital currencies further. Unfortunately, the United Nations’ report has given them exactly what they needed.

The report of North Korea using cryptocurrencies stolen from the exchanges for financing their weapons program is a severe problem for the crypto industry especially after the report mentions explicitly that Pyongyang used cyberspace for launching sophisticated attacks on crypto exchanges and financial institutions, solely to steal funds and generate income.

The country has also been connected to exchange attacks in South Korea for quite a while. Now, according to the UN report, these attacks may have resulted in over $2 billion in stolen funds.

Because the US is already skeptical towards cryptocurrencies, as well as the fact that this is the time of high tensions when it comes to the country’s international policy — it is unlikely that the country won’t take any action. Of course, there are countless arguments against this ‘crypto is only used by criminals’ stance. But, it is also true that digital currencies made stealing money, laundering it, or moving under the radar quite possible.

The biggest fear right now is that regulators might be much quicker to ban crypto than they were to regulate it. Connecting cryptocurrencies to weapons of mass destruction definitely have its impact, and concerns are more profound than ever. This is not good for crypto space, and the damage it is causing may end up being irreparable.

Disclaimer: The presented information is subjected to market condition and may include the very own opinion of the author. Please do your ‘very own’ market research before making any investment in cryptocurrencies. Neither the writer nor the publication (TronWeekly.com) holds any responsibility for your financial loss.

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Korean remittance service CROSS runs on Ripple; a boost for XRP real life use cases 

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Ripple is the first open payment network in the world which is run by the Ripple Labs. The system is expanding across the globe with its adoption by different financial firms, banks, and exchanges.

The blockchain firm has grown as a promising remittance firm providing service for cross-border transactions. Now, another instant remittance firm, CROSS, has adopted Ripple technology.

About Ripple’s New Instant Payments Partner CROSS

Not too long ago, a new remittance service started in Korea named ‘CROSS.’ It is a global remittance network that provides users with an easy platform to make cross-border transactions.

Using Ripple’s technology makes it send money at fast speed. It provides high security with low transaction fees. Moreover, the key aspect is that it is licensed by the government in compliance with the newly amended Foreign Exchange Act which makes it a reliable network.

At the moment, CROSS (crossenf.com) provides service to several countries including Thailand, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Malaysia. The service will be available in China and Singapore in the coming days. The main objective is to provide service across Southeast Asia, where customers would be able to send money to friends and family.

Using Ripple

CROSS uses Ripple’s technology which allows payments of any size to move rapidly with a secure ecosystem. Ripple has an ideal system for remittance payments, which is one of its key features and this makes it more suitable for networks like CROSS.

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Ripple provides with two major services, xCurrent, and xRapid. xCurrent uses RippleNet, whereas, xRapid uses XRP as a medium of exchange. With the crypto industry revolutionizing the financial (banking) systems, Ripple is ahead from many other systems currently used in the world. That is the main reason why financial systems are adopting Ripple for payment method.

It is good for Ripple as it will have a positive impact on its growth across the Southeast Asian region. The world is moving towards the adoption of a new payment system and Ripple seems to capture this industry with its stupendous technology.

A Boost for XRP

XRP is a core subject to Ripple, as the blockchain firm uses XRP service (xRapid) for the payment method. Ripple’s growth is always key for XRP’s success and its adoption. This is a real boost for XRP real-life use cases, where customers from the emerging markets have a new opportunity to interact with Ripple’s XRP.

XRP is the third-largest crypto in the world and with Ripple assistance, it’s future in the market looks good. Such small developments play a key role in long-term progress. At the time of writing, XRP trades at a price of $0.31029 after going down by 2.56% in the last 24 hours.

Disclaimer: The presented information is subjected to market condition and may include the very own opinion of the author. Please do your ‘very own’ market research before making any investment in cryptocurrencies. Neither the writer nor the publication (TronWeekly.com) holds any responsibility for your financial loss.

Never miss our daily cryptocurrency news, price analysis, tips, and stories. Join us on Telegram | Twitter or subscribe to our weekly Newsletter.

Ripple puts emphasis in Southeast Asia by doubling its Singapore office

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Ripple is one of the world’s most important blockchain private companies. It has a global outlook in which the Southeast Asian market has an essential place in the firm’s plans because of the intense activity in the crypto verse that’s centered around that zone of the planet. And Ripple is going to put more attention in Asia by doubling the number of employees it has at his Singapore offices.

The company that created and is still behind the XRP digital asset (which holds the third spot by market capitalization) is about to grow its Asian office, based in Singapore. The small island is a hub for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. The Tron Foundation is also based in Singapore even if most of the project’s activity happens in China.

Doubling the employee number at Singapore is not a colossal undertaking if you take into account that it means going from 12 to 24 employees during the following year. The point in this move is to increase the full range of operations offered by the company. Finews Asia reported a few days ago that the increase was all about customer service, but it’s not going to be limited to that aspect of the company’s work.

Ripple (some still call it a “startup” after seven years of going strong) is looking to increase its capacity in the Asian zone so it can satisfy its customers’ needs. Asia is a vital geopolitical region for the cryptosphere in general, but it’s been especially relevant for Ripple because many of its most critical partners (which tend to be banks and remittance services) are located, sometimes even limited, to the Asian zone, especially in the Southeast.

Ripple and Southeast Asia

Let’s start by stating the obvious (which is not so evident for all observers). You are undoubtedly aware of the crypto winter. The market has been under the bears’ dominance for more than 16 months so far. While prices have been going up for about a week and a half, it remains premature to assume we’re all out of the doldrums already.

The winter has been very harsh. It’s cost the market more than 85% of its value, so it’s forced many blockchain projects to cut down their workforces. So it’s incredible that living in that same bearish environment, Ripple can afford to think about expanding anywhere in the world instead of firing people. It’s surely a well-managed company that can negotiate a storm successfully.

The firm knows that it must give that region the attention it demands is one of the most critical markets for the firm. Erin van Mittenburg, Ripple’s Senior Vice President for Global operations was quoted by The Business Times saying that,

“The demand here is significant, so it’s an easy decision for us to continue to invest in this market and make sure that we can… also seek out new customers, new partners and new ways that we can work with the market.”

The company produces a blockchain platform capable of supporting a series of software solutions (developed, maintained and operated by Ripple) which hold the promise of removing most of the friction in settling international payments.

So far, and for the last 44 years, that market has been monopolized by the very inaptly named SWIFT system. Ripple’s alternative is faster (minutes instead of days), more competitive (fractions of cents instead of fees of around 25%) and much more reliable.

Because of this focus in the remittance and international transfers business, Asia is quite essential as it has a vast trading volume in this market. That’s why Ripple entered the Singaporean market two years ago.

There’s another reason for Ripple’s interest in Asia. It’s the region that has embraced its systems with the most enthusiasm. Half of the company’s strategic partners are located somewhere in Asia. Some of those include the Siam Commercial Bank in Thailand, Malaysia’s CIMB Bank, and Philippine’s BDO, not to mention several big financial players in Japan.

Asia in the Cryptoverse

Asia doesn’t get all the limelight that the US and Europe have when it comes to being protagonists in the cryptocurrency world. But it is the real leader because of the trading volume and generalized interest there is in digital assets. Just think about a couple of relevant facts.

Most of the Bitcoin mining in the world is done out of China (which is the country that also manufactures the toys that allow for that mining process to keep going). And how excited has everybody been about the Bitcoin’s surge that started on last week’s Tuesday?

Some observers are even reporting that the winter is over (again, probably prematurely)! Well, the market move that brought the Bitcoin price up by a thousand dollars in sixty minutes flat came out of Asia, not Europe nor the US. The thing to take out of this paragraph should be clear now. Asia is crucial, central, and very influential for the cryptosphere and Ripple knows it.

We already talked a bit about China’s role in the crypto verse (basically, it’s the country that keeps the Bitcoin network going). But the red giant is not the only player. Japan is also a relevant market in the industry. The country has seen two of the worse security breaches in the short blockchain’s history happen in its territory. Those incidents prompted the state to adopt pro-crypto regulation instead of disrupting the market while waving the flag of investor protection.

Some 61 Japanese banks are Ripple’s partners and are using or testing the company’s technology for international payments. That’s 61 out of the roughly 200 banks that are working with Ripple all over the world, so Japan alone is more than 25% of Ripple’s global business.

Substituting the SWIFT system with blockchain-based and cryptocurrency-based solutions could be how virtual money finally finds its way into worldwide mass adoption and mainstream acceptance. The mere fact that so many banks in the world have been willing to work alongside Ripple in this market is astounding.

Let’s not forget that the world’s banks have regarded Bitcoin in particular, but also cryptocurrencies in general, as an evil thing which is why they’ve stayed away from it to the best of their abilities. And even so, Ripple has persuaded many to try out the blockchain and see its advantages for themselves.

Another factor in Asia is that many countries (Singapore is one of them, Thailand would be another one) have enacted crypto-friendly policies. That’s why many of the leading cryptocurrency industry players have set up shop in Asia. And as more governments in the region become friendlier towards crypto, they are likely to influence other countries in the zone to be friendly as well or risk being left out of the action.

Also, many exciting blockchain projects come out of Asia, so the region is also a source of innovation and leadership in the industry. Alibaba, for instance, received the most patents for blockchain technology last year. Tron came out of Asia. There are many more examples.

Ripple has always chosen its battles very carefully, and it’s still finding ways to win them. So this move is bound to be carefully considered, planned and executed. Chances are that, during the next 12-24 months, we will hear a lot about Ripple’s growth and success in Southeast Asia. And that progress will be fueled by those 12 new employees that will get on board the company during the next few months.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Disclaimer: The presented information is subjected to market condition and may include the very own opinion of the author. Please do your ‘very own’ market research before making any investment in cryptocurrencies. Neither the writer nor the publication (TronWeekly.com) holds any responsibility for your financial loss.

North Korea hacking crypto exchanges to bypass economic sanctions

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North Korea has been behind significant cryptocurrency exchange hacks in an attempt to circumvent economic sanctions as well as obtaining foreign currency. According to the UN Security Council, the country has stolen $571 million from Asian crypto exchanges via the cyber attacks.

Crypto Exchanges Alongside Financial Institutions Hacked

According to Nikkei Asian Review that claims to receive the panel’s report, North Korea has been undertaking the dubious business on overseas financial companies from 2015, but it’s between January 2017 and September 2018 that the country made most of its money.

A panel of experts revealed to the Security Council’s North Korea sanctions committee that the nation had hacked a total of $670 million in cryptocurrency and foreign exchange between 2015 and 2018.

The report indicates that several Asian cryptocurrency exchanges were hacked by North Korea at least five times. Interestingly, the attacks have been associated with being carried out by professional military units which are an essential part of the country’s government policy.

Unfortunately, it’s still unknown that who the victims of the attacks were, but among the ones that do come first in mind is the Japanese exchange Coincheck which was attacked in January last year and suffered a loss of about $530 million. Also, in September last year, another cryptocurrency exchange, Zaif, got attacked and lost $60 million.

Furthermore, neighbors South Korea had an attack as well that is believed to be executed by North Korea. The hack saw personal information of 10 million users of the e-commerce platform Interpark being compromised. Moreover, a ransom worth of $2.7 million was eventually paid in exchange for the stolen data.

Desperate Times

It could be hard to argue against the likelihood that the attacks from North Korea are as a result of the tough economic times the country is undergoing. The UN and the US placed economic sanctions for about 15 years now due to its nuclear program launch.

The panel’s report has seen that a reason for North Korea to hack crypto exchanges for garnering more funds during this desperate time and consequently circumvent sanctions as they are difficult to prosecute, able to be washed several times, and apparently independent of the government regulations.

The North Korea hacking appears to represent a big problem for the UN with the report stressing the need for an action calling the nations to strengthen their ability in promoting information exchange with various governments as well as domestic financial institutions to counter North Korea’s attacks.

Overall, it’s an exciting development. Various countries such as Iran and Russia have looked to bypass economic sanctions using cryptocurrencies. Maybe it’s the start of a new policy for all the nations, or perhaps we’re looking at the commencement of cyber wars. But whatever the case would be, it’s an exciting (yes, not so positive though) move that exchanges, as well as others, have to watch their back.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Disclaimer: The presented information is subjected to market condition and may include the very own opinion of the author. Please do your ‘very own’ market research before making any investment in cryptocurrencies. Neither the writer nor the publication (TronWeekly.com) holds any responsibility for your financial loss.

Hong Kong’s Bold Move: Stablecoin Ordinance to Shape Global Crypto Markets

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  • Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Ordinance requires businesses to obtain licenses before issuing stablecoins.
  • The ordinance aims to ensure a transparent and secure environment for stablecoin advertising and market operations.
  • Swift stablecoin regulation sets a global standard, positioning the region as a leader in digital asset markets.

Hong Kong has announced that the enforcement of the Stablecoin Ordinance will begin in August 2025. The official announcement indicates that, starting on August 1, 2025, businesses must get a license to issue Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoins within the region.

In May 2025, the initial version of the ordinance was ready, yet it had to be fast-tracked because of the quick increase in digital currencies. The government wants to create a clear set of rules for managing all actions involving stablecoins. As a result, authorities hope to ensure that businesses and investors can operate in a safe and clear-cut manner.

Enhancing Market Transparency

Christopher Hui, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, pointed out that introducing a licensing system will help supervise the stablecoin market. With the ordinance, only companies with a license will be allowed to advertise stablecoins, which should cut down on the risk of fraud and guarantee more open promotions. Hui stated that such a regulatory approach is necessary to help the digital asset sector evolve positively in the region.

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The government will submit two notices to the Legislative Council on June 11, 2025, as a prelude to enacting the ordinance. These notices mark the start of the process to create a final version of the bill and approve it. Once implemented, this law will bring structure to the field of stablecoins, which should improve Hong Kong’s place among global digital asset centers.

Hong Kong’s Regulatory Leadership

There are also sections of the ordinance that focus on qualified investors. Such investors may issue stablecoins without being licensed, as long as they follow specific criteria. Although clearly outlined rules cover institutional investors, there is still uncertainty about whether retail investors will follow the same regulations or be given the option to issue stablecoins on their own. The government has not provided additional details about these issues for small investors.

Hong Kong is leading the way among Asian markets with its quick regulation of stablecoins. Recently, South Korea has begun considering the release of stablecoins linked to the Korean won. Hong Kong’s fast action gives it an advantage globally, as it ensures that its crypto market is properly regulated and primed for further progress.

The adoption of the Stablecoin Ordinance should create a safe and transparent environment for businesses and investors. It helps develop the cryptocurrency market in the region and strengthens its position worldwide.

Related Reading: Cardano (ADA) Faces Downside Pressure, Needs Break Above $0.68 to Bounce Back

Crypto Security Strengthened as YZi Labs Invests in OneKey

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Main Takeaways:

  • OneKey provides open-source hardware wallets to mitigate rising crypto asset storage risks with secure self-custody solutions.
  • YZi Labs’ investment reflects a broader push toward safer, more inclusive Web3 access globally.
  • The funding will drive innovation in wallet technology, threat detection, and regulatory growth in major markets.

YZi Labs, one of the leading Web3 investment hubs, recently announced a strategic investment in OneKey, an open-source crypto hardware wallet company. The investment is intended to advance the innovation of secure, next-generation solutions for storing crypto assets.

OneKey solutions are founded on the concept of self-custody, offering users a decentralized solution alternative to centralized exchanges as well as custodial services, which are increasingly being targeted by cyber threats.

This collaboration comes at the opportune time amidst a chaotic year for digital asset security, as global loss due to hacks and scams totaled over $2.2 billion in 2024 alone. The need has never been higher for transparent, secure storage solutions.

OneKey combines open-source hardware with advanced on-chain threat analytics to give users, from everyday holders to institutions, more control over their assets.

Bridging Crypto Security and Wealth Management

Founded in 2019, OneKey has expanded its footprint across continents with operations in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. A multilingual platform with an intuitive user interface and compliance-ready infrastructure attracted the market quickly, creating brand loyalty.

Besides China and South Korea, Brazil is another region where OneKey has a strong presence. Year-over-year sales at OneKey have grown over 300%, while secured asset volume has grown eleven times over the past three years.

In the wake of recently launched products like the USDC-based earning instrument which received more than $62 million in user deposits, OneKey is establishing itself not only as a secure wallet provider but as a wealth management interface for DeFi as well.

Its own stack of hardware and software is entirely open-sourced and audited, which provides transparency as well as versatility across regulatory landscapes.

Strategic Innovation and Market Expansion

OneKey will use the YZi Labs investment to accelerate the evolution of its hardware, upgrade capabilities in threat detection as well as contract analysis, and support regulatory scaling across U.S., Europe, and emerging economies.

The investment also helps to facilitate onekey’s on-going development of Anzen Lab, which is a research facility committed to stress-testing crypto wallets within actual operating conditions.

This collaboration represents a strong step toward the democratization of secure digital finance. As Web3 evolves, innovations such as OneKey are set to not only secure digital asset ownership but also make it inclusive and user-centric.

Related Reading | Dogecoin (DOGE) Poised for Explosive Bullish Breakout Amid DeFi Expansion

K Wave Media Announces $500M Bitcoin Investment Strategy, Stock Surges 133%

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  • K Wave Media signed a $500 million securities purchase agreement with Bitcoin Strategic Reserve KWM LLC.
  • K Wave Media stock surged 162.9% on the announcement, reaching 1,930 KRW by market close.
  • The Nasdaq-listed Korean firm aims to be the “Metaplanet of Korea” via Bitcoin buys.

K Wave Media Inc. (Nasdaq: KWM), the first Korean media alliance listed on Nasdaq, plans to raise $500 million through a securities purchase agreement with Bitcoin Strategic Reserve KWM LLC. The deal involves the sale by the Company of up to $500 million of its ordinary shares. The company plans to use the proceeds to set up a Bitcoin treasury and increase its K-pop and media activities through mergers and purchases. 

The move, disclosed in a June 4 announcement, positions K Wave among the first publicly traded media companies to directly embed Bitcoin (BTC) into its core treasury operations.

K Wave Media Ltd (NASDAQ: KWM) soared as much as 162% following the announcement, before settling to close up 133.33% at $4.48.

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Source: Google Finance

Becoming the “Metaplanet of Korea” through Bitcoin adoption

According to Co-Interim CEO Ted Kim, the integration of Bitcoin into K Wave’s financial structure reflects a commitment to innovation and decentralization. “Bitcoin offers not just a store of value, but a foundation for innovation, independence, and global scalability,” Kim said. “By embedding BTC into our core strategy, we’re reinforcing our commitment to decentralization, agility, and future-facing value creation,” said Ted Kim, co-interim CEO of K Wave Media.

K Wave is implementing its strategy after Metaplanet Inc., a Japanese company that increased its fame worldwide in 2024 and 2025 due to a conservative Bitcoin reserve approach. That move propelled Metaplanet to become one of the best-performing global stocks. K Wave hopes to replicate that trajectory in South Korea by aligning its digital asset strategy with public investor expectations.

Funding Bitcoin, Web3, and the expansion of K-pop content creation

Under the agreement, K Wave will allocate a major share of the funding toward purchasing, holding, and yield-optimizing Bitcoin. Furthermore, the company intends to operate Bitcoin Lightning Network nodes and invest in infrastructure for on-chain transaction rewards, thus further enhancing its involvement with the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Future initiatives may include enabling consumers to use Bitcoin to purchase K-pop content and merchandise. K Wave also intends to let investors fund Korean entertainment projects using approved digital currencies, including BTC.

Board Chairman Choi Pyeungho called the move “a visionary step” that underscores the convergence of digital media and decentralized finance. “This strategy will create strong, long-term value for shareholders,” he added.

A rising trend among public firms

K Wave joins the growing number of global firms adopting Bitcoin as a corporate reserve asset—a trend initiated by MicroStrategy (now Strategy) in 2020. According to Bitcoin Treasuries data, over 20 public companies currently hold at least $5 million in BTC. This strategy is particularly gaining traction in Asia, with Metaplanet leading the way, possessing more than $118 million in Bitcoin.