South Korea's Mirae Asset Financial Group has acquired a 92.06% stake in the crypto exchange Korbit, winning approval from the Korea Fair Trade Commission on July 9. The purchase price for the core stake was approximately KRW 133.5 billion. The deal makes Mirae Asset the first Korean financial group to control a domestic crypto exchange, according to reports on July 23.
The deal and its regulatory path
The Fair Trade Commission signed off on the acquisition after reviewing its competitive impact. Korbit's market share was roughly 0.5% in 2025, which the FTC cited as a reason the deal would not restrict competition. Mirae Asset plans to increase its stake to about 97.15%, with an additional investment of about KRW 7.9 billion (approx. $5.32 million).
What Mirae gets
The acquisition includes Korbit's VASP registration, compliance program, exchange technology, and the right to operate crypto order books in Korea. That means Mirae Asset inherits a fully licensed exchange with existing banking relationships and a compliance team — a ready-made foundation for regulated crypto services.
Integration plans
Mirae Asset's strategic intent is to build compliant crypto rails, integrate digital assets into its brokerage, wealth, and payments ecosystem, and prepare for tokenized assets. Integration plans include single sign-on, unified fiat rails, custody overhaul, suitability checks, and product governance upgrades. The goal is to offer crypto services alongside traditional financial products under one roof.
Korbit is one of Korea's oldest exchanges, with established banking relationships and compliance teams. For Mirae Asset, this isn't just a toehold — it's a full entry into the domestic crypto market. The move positions the financial group to compete with other Korean exchanges while leveraging its existing customer base. The next concrete step is the additional investment to increase the stake to 97.15%, which is expected to close in the coming months.
