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According to BBX data, yesterday global publicly listed companies in the US stock market and well-known Web3 infrastructure providers disclosed the latest developments on expansion in the Asia-Pacific hub, institutional collaborations, and brand strategy restructuring. The core information is as follows:MoonPay established a subsidiary in South Korea as the Asia-Pacific hub, partnering with KakaoBank, Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group: Global cryptocurrency payment infrastructure giant MoonPay officially announced the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary in South Korea, planning to make it a comprehensive expansion center for the group in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, MoonPay has reached deep strategic cooperation with South Korea's three major mainstream financial institutions—KakaoBank, Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group. The scope of cooperation includes cross-border payment clearing, localization distribution of the Korean won stablecoin, digital wallet technology integration, and the establishment of compliant cryptocurrency fiat withdrawal and recharge channels, aiming to build a high-speed network for the flow of funds between South Korea and the global Web3.CEA Industries officially renamed to "BNB Standard," Nasdaq trading code changed to "BNC": Nasdaq-listed company CEA Industries, focusing on BNB reserve strategies, announced the completion of its brand transformation and strategic renaming, with the company name officially changed to BNB Standard. After the renaming, the company's common stock will continue to be traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and the securities trading code will be officially changed to "BNC." This renaming aims to directly highlight its strategic positioning of using BNB as a core treasury asset and promoting decentralized ecological investment.

Cryptocurrency payment company MoonPay announced the establishment of MoonPay Korea and is collaborating with South Korea's digital bank KakaoBank, commercial bank Woori Bank, and KB Financial Group to expand stablecoin payments and digital asset services in South Korea. MoonPay Korea will be responsible for local service development and will serve as the company's base for expansion in Asia. MoonPay's Asia-Pacific head Bugeon Lee stated that the stablecoin backed by the Korean won is expected to expand the coverage of South Korean financial institutions and provide new cross-border transaction methods for businesses, as the company hopes to build relevant infrastructure in South Korea with banking partners.The collaboration with KakaoBank focuses on blockchain-based overseas remittances, cross-border payments, and multi-currency stablecoin services. The two parties plan to initially conduct a proof of concept aimed at international students, testing the complete process of initiating transfers from South Korea, transferring via stablecoin, and converting to US dollars for deposit into a US bank account. The collaboration also covers the issuance and distribution of won-pegged stablecoins, payment settlements, as well as trading, custody, and conversion of stablecoins denominated in won, US dollars, yen, and others, with access to MoonPay's global distribution and payment network supported by assets and regions.MoonPay will collaborate with Woori Bank to provide global distribution for future won-pegged stablecoins and validate the cross-border payment settlement model for local businesses based on stablecoins. The partnership with KB Financial Group will explore card payments, global remittances, wallet custody, and stablecoin usage for individuals, institutions, and foreigners in South Korea. Founded in 2019, MoonPay claims to serve over 30 million customers in approximately 180 countries and supports more than 1,700 business clients.

Korean fintech company Kakao Pay and internet bank KakaoBank have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with cryptocurrency infrastructure provider Fireblocks to jointly explore digital asset opportunities, including stablecoins. According to the agreement, both parties will conduct proof-of-concept testing for digital asset infrastructure that meets South Korean regulatory, security, and service requirements, aiming to build a secure on-chain infrastructure for the country's emerging digital asset market. The announcement did not disclose specific timelines for launch, investment, or implementation.Kakao Pay primarily focuses on mobile payments and financial services, while KakaoBank is one of the largest internet banks in South Korea, both belonging to the Kakao ecosystem. Fireblocks stated that it provides digital asset infrastructure for over 2,500 institutions, including more than 100 banks. This collaboration follows another partnership between Kakao Group and stablecoin issuer Circle, where the two signed an MoU in July this year to explore blockchain-based payment infrastructure and digital asset technology, and to study opportunities surrounding the Korean won stablecoin and related services.As South Korea gradually improves its digital asset regulatory framework, Kakao Pay and KakaoBank are among many Korean financial and tech companies exploring stablecoin opportunities. In May this year, KB Financial Group completed a pilot for a Korean won stablecoin covering issuance, offline merchant payments, and cross-border remittances; in July, fintech company Toss collaborated with Optimism and Sunnyside Labs to conduct a proof of concept for Korean won-based stablecoin payment infrastructure.

According to Decrypt, South Korean IT giant Kakao's digital bank KakaoBank is accelerating the development of a technical system that supports KRW stablecoins and tokenized assets, covering smart contract execution, token standards, full nodes, and issuance management backend; its blockchain partner Kaia has submitted at least four trademarks for Korean won-pegged stablecoins in August.Sam Seo, chairman of the Kaia Foundation, stated that they are in discussions with multiple parties regarding the KRW stablecoin POC, but details are not disclosed due to confidentiality.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, South Korea's digital banking giant KakaoBank revealed at its earnings report conference that it is actively preparing to enter the stablecoin market, planning to participate in digital asset issuance or custody services, and working closely with the Kakao Group's stablecoin task force.The bank emphasizes its technological and risk control advantages, leveraging its experience in providing real-name accounts and KYC/AML monitoring for cryptocurrency exchanges. This move responds to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's policy to promote the Korean won stablecoin market, aiming to prevent capital outflow. Kakao's subsidiary KakaoPay has already submitted a trademark application for stablecoins, while KakaoBank's operating profit in the first half of the year reached $254 million, with its user base covering nearly half of South Korea's population.

ChainCatcher news, according to the Bangkok Post, South Korea's digital bank KakaoBank has partnered with Thailand's fintech group, SCB X, a subsidiary of Siam Commercial Bank, to form a consortium to apply for a virtual banking license from the Bank of Thailand. SCB X plans to hold the majority of the shares, with KakaoBank holding at least 20%. The consortium aims to attract more partners to join the alliance.In addition, Sittipong Kittiprapapong, General Manager of Global Merchant Cooperation at Ant Group Thailand, stated that Alipay+ will collaborate with 10 overseas mobile wallets and plans to apply for a license from the Bank of Thailand. These 10 digital wallet providers are from Asia and Europe. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, KakaoBank's Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Kim Seok recently stated: "KakaoBank is in talks to provide verified real-name deposit and withdrawal account services to Coinone customers in November, in order to provide stability and convenience for virtual asset trading. Coinone users will be able to access through KakaoBank accounts.KakaoBank is an online bank in South Korea with nearly 20 million users, and Coinone is one of the top five cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea. The two companies announced their partnership in August. (Forkast)