Hana Financial Acquires 6.55% Stake in Dunamu for 1 Trillion Won, Breaking Korea's 9-Year Separation Policy

Hana Financial Group announced on May 15 that it has agreed to acquire a 6.55% stake in Dunamu (approximately 2.284 million shares) from Kakao Investment for approximately 1.033 trillion Korean won. This marks the first time a South Korean financial institution has become a major shareholder of a cryptocurrency exchange, effectively breaking the “금가분리” (separation of traditional finance and digital assets) policy that has been in place for nine years.

The transaction is being framed as a step toward “금가융합” (convergence of traditional finance and digital assets), with Hana Financial positioning it as combining legacy financial infrastructure with blockchain innovation. Financial regulators have previously signaled openness to allowing regulated traditional financial institutions to participate in the digital asset market.