Coinone Eyes Stocks Inside Crypto Exchange With 80 Billion Won Alliance Plan

Coinone is moving to expand the role of a crypto exchange from a coin-trading venue into a broader investment gateway that includes stocks. The center of the plan is a four-party alliance backed by an 80 billion won bet. Cha Myung-hun, who leads Korea’s No. 3 virtual-asset exchange, is shaping a structure in which users can check crypto and stock-related investment information inside the Coinone app and use a smoother experience connected to brokerage accounts.

From Crypto Venue to Investment Gateway

Korea’s crypto market has entered a phase where growth can no longer rely only on trading fees and token listings. Investors increasingly want to manage Bitcoin, Ethereum, Korean stocks, U.S. stocks, and cash-like assets from one screen. Coinone’s alliance targets that demand by combining exchange operations, brokerage linkage, technology development, and capital.

Cha’s background explains the direction. As a white-hat hacker founder, he has treated security and system stability as core strengths. He is now directly involved in AI coding, applying artificial intelligence to user interfaces, investment data processing, and abnormal-trading detection. For a crypto exchange to become a stock-investing gateway, it needs security, account linkage, regulatory compliance, and real-time data handling at the same time.

Targets: 10% Share and 1 Million Monthly Users

Coinone’s key goal this year is to settle its trading share in the 10% range. In Korea’s highly concentrated exchange market, reaching that level is a signal of brand trust and liquidity. The company also aims to secure 1 million monthly users by year-end, focusing on active users who open the app for trading, checking, and linked services.

The 80 billion won funding expectation can support hiring, AI upgrades, stronger security systems, and improved brokerage-account linkage. For Korean investors, won deposits, real-name accounts, user-protection rules, and securities regulations all shape the service design. That is why Coinone is approaching stocks as an exchange-based investment access point rather than acting as a securities firm itself.

Regulation and Convenience Will Decide

The impact is clear. Users may reduce the friction of managing crypto and stocks across separate apps, while the boundary between brokerages and crypto exchanges could blur faster. Still, Korean law treats crypto trading, securities brokerage, and investor protection under different frameworks, so the service scope must be carefully designed.

Coinone’s strategy shifts competition from fee discounts to everyday investment-platform utility. If it reaches both 1 million monthly users and a 10% trading share, its position as Korea’s third-largest exchange will strengthen. If stock linkage proves complex or regulatory interpretation slows, expansion may be limited.