KB Securities said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canton Foundation and Wavebridge to support the transition of Korea’s capital market to distributed ledger-based infrastructure.
The agreement was signed on June 4, 2026, at KB Securities’ headquarters in Yeouido and announced on June 5. KB Securities said the three parties plan to jointly review ways to apply distributed ledger-based infrastructure to domestic capital market transactions using the Canton Network.
Over the medium to long term, the three parties aim to expand cooperation to the domestic introduction of distributed ledger-based financial products and the buildout of overseas distribution infrastructure. Based on that experience, they aim to issue financial products backed by domestic financial assets and distribute them in global markets.
KB Securities described the Canton Network as an open distributed ledger infrastructure designed to digitize and trade real-world assets at scale while complying with traditional financial regulation. It said the network combines interoperability, selective disclosure and institutional-grade governance, and that major financial institutions and capital market infrastructure operators participating in its operation include Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, HSBC, Deutsche Börse Group, Nasdaq and DTCC.
Under the cooperation structure, KB Securities will use its institutional client network and product expertise to design capital market trading standards using the Canton Network and help expand adoption by domestic financial institutions. Wavebridge, which KB Securities said has completed its virtual asset service provider filing with the Financial Intelligence Unit, will handle digital asset payment and settlement infrastructure. The Canton Foundation will support development of the Canton Network ecosystem, governance coordination and education.
After signing the agreement, the three parties plan to finalize a detailed schedule and specific steps to support a distributed ledger-based payment and settlement model.
KB Securities CEO Kang Jin-doo said the transition to distributed ledger-based capital markets is already in operation globally and that Korea’s capital market needs a systematic response. Wavebridge CEO Oh Jong-wook said digital asset trading and payment infrastructure requires institutional-grade infrastructure that meets domestic regulation and global counterparty standards. Canton Foundation Chairman Viv Diwakar said Korea’s capital market has the institutional maturity and regulatory foundation to move boldly toward distributed ledger infrastructure.
