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【Crypto payments company MoonPay establishes Korean entity and partners with three banks】
Crypto payments company MoonPay announced the establishment of MoonPay Korea and partnerships with Korean 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 oversee local service development and serve as the company’s base for expansion in Asia.MoonPay’s Asia-Pacific head, Bugeon Lee, said that won-denominated stablecoins could broaden the reach of South Korean financial institutions and provide businesses with new cross-border transaction methods. The company hopes to build related infrastructure in South Korea with its banking partners. The partnership with KakaoBank focuses on blockchain-based international remittances, cross-border payments, and multi-currency stablecoin services. The parties plan to first conduct a proof of concept for international students, testing the full process of initiating a transfer from South Korea, moving and converting funds through stablecoins into USD and then depositing them into a U.S. bank account. The partnership also covers the issuance and distribution of won-pegged stablecoins, payment settlement, and the trading, custody, and conversion of stablecoins denominated in won,USD, and yen, as well as integration with MoonPay’s global distribution and payments network where supported by assets and regions.MoonPay will partner with Woori Bank to provide global distribution for future won-pegged stablecoins and validate a stablecoin-based cross-border payment settlement model for local South Korean businesses. The partnership with KB financial group will explore card payments, global remittances, wallet custody, and stablecoin use for individuals, institutions, and foreigners in South Korea.MoonPay was founded in 2019 and says it serves approximately 180 countries and more than 30000000 customers, while supporting more than 1700 business customers.