Woofun AI reports that Kiwoom Securities is in advanced talks to acquire a stake in Bithumb through a third-party allotment of new shares, marking another major entry by a traditional broker into the digital asset sector. This move coincides with the South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) preparing to unveil regulatory reforms in July that will integrate tokenized securities into the national capital markets framework starting February 4, 2027. The proposed amendments to the Capital Markets Act and Electronic Securities Act aim to modernize financial infrastructure by aligning blockchain-based investment products with mainstream settlement systems.

Bithumb, one of the nation's largest exchanges by daily volume, becomes the latest target as the FSC folds token securities infrastructure into a broader overhaul of capital markets. The regulatory timeline sets a clear path for institutional participation, with the new framework scheduled to take full effect on Feb. 4, 2027, effectively bringing tokenized assets under existing securities laws. This structural shift provides the legal certainty required for major financial institutions to deploy capital into local crypto operators.

The Kiwoom initiative follows a rapid succession of similar transactions by other South Korean financial giants. On May 29, Korea Investment & Securities (KIS) and OKX Ventures agreed to invest a combined 160 billion won ($106 million) to secure a 19.6% stake in Coinone. Just one day earlier, Samsung Securities, Samsung SDS, and Samsung Card acquired a combined 4% stake in Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, for 612.8 billion won ($408 million).

Woofun AI data shows the pace of consolidation accelerated further in mid-May when Hana Financial Group announced it would acquire a 6.55% stake in Dunamu from Kakao Investment for more than $668 million. This transaction positions Hana as the fourth-largest shareholder of the Upbit operator, signaling deepening integration between traditional banking and crypto infrastructure. Earlier in February, Mirae Asset Consulting agreed to acquire a 92.06% stake in Korbit for 133.48 billion won (about $93 million), effectively taking control of the majority of the exchange.

These sequential acquisitions demonstrate a coordinated strategy by South Korea's financial sector to capture value ahead of the 2027 regulatory milestone. The cumulative capital deployed by these firms exceeds $1.3 billion in a matter of months, reflecting high confidence in the upcoming tokenized securities regime. This wave of institutional entry marks a definitive shift from speculative interest to strategic ownership within the Korean crypto ecosystem.