KB Securities Partners with Securitize and Optimism to Advance Institutional Tokenization in Korea
TL;DR: KB Securities, one of Korea's leading securities firms, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Optimism and Securitize to collaborate to bring tokenized funds to Korean institutional investors on OP Mainnet. The collaboration intends to start with a tokenized money market fund and a fund built on a KB Asset Management flagship strategy, expanding over time as Korea's regulatory framework develops.
- First public tokenization collaboration for KB Securities
- Second time the OP Mainnet plus Securitize model has landed a new institutional issuer
Institutional tokenization has mostly played out in US dollar markets, with asset managers in the US and Europe running the early experiments. KB Securities is positioning to be a Korean entry point: a top-tier Korean securities firm moving from evaluation to a signed MOU, choosing Securitize and OP Mainnet as the infrastructure to build on.
What did KB Securities, Securitize, and Optimism announce?
KB Securities, Securitize, and Optimism have signed a memorandum of understanding to bring tokenized financial products to Korean institutional investors on OP Mainnet. It's KB Securities' first public step into tokenization, and the second time the OP Mainnet plus Securitize pairing has onboarded a new institutional issuer.
“As the tokenization of diverse assets expands across global financial markets, this agreement is meaningful in that it leverages the specialized capabilities of each company to lay the groundwork for tokenized securities targeting domestic institutional investors. We will continue to closely monitor regulatory and market developments, expand our partnerships with global players, and strengthen our capabilities to deliver innovative financial products and services.”
Each party anchors a different piece of the tokenization stack: KB Securities sponsors, issues, and distributes the products; Securitize brings the tokenization platform, fund administration, and transfer-agent infrastructure; Optimism provides the technical settlement layer on OP Mainnet, built on the OP Stack.
What is KB Securities building with Securitize and Optimism?
KB Securities plans to pursue this opportunity in stages, starting with a tokenized money market fund and a fund built on a KB Asset Management flagship strategy. Over time, the collaboration intends to extend to a broader range of instruments, including tokenized stocks and ADRs, corporate bonds, and Korean government bonds, as Korea's regulatory framework for tokenized securities continues to develop.
| Stage | What's included |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Tokenized money market fund and a fund built on a KB Asset Management flagship strategy. |
| Areas of exploration | Distribution of existing tokenized funds to institutional clients in Korea, and a broader range of instruments over time, including tokenized stocks and ADRs, corporate bonds, and Korean government bonds. |
What makes OP Mainnet and Securitize credible for this?
Securitize has tokenized more than $5 billion in assets under management as of July 2026 (Securitize, self-reported). Optimism supports the development and growth of OP Mainnet, an Ethereum Layer 2 network live since December 2021 and fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, giving institutions Ethereum-grade security along with the speed and cost efficiency their use cases require.
“Korea is one of the world's most sophisticated capital markets, and KB Securities has the reach and credibility to help bring tokenization into the institutional mainstream. Together with Optimism, we're bringing proven global tokenization infrastructure to Korea and creating a bridge between its traditional capital markets and the growing onchain economy.”
How does the collaboration actually work?
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| KB Securities | Sponsors, issues, and distributes the tokenized products to its institutional client base in Korea. |
| Securitize | Advises on market structuring early on, then serves as tokenization platform, fund administrator, or transfer agent depending on how the final structure lands. |
| Optimism | Provides the technical infrastructure via the OP Stack, along with integration support, an account lead, and go-to-market support throughout the collaboration. |
Why does this matter for the industry and for Optimism?
“The OP Stack is infrastructure built for institutions moving real capital onchain. KB Securities choosing OP Mainnet for its first tokenized product is an early signal that this model works beyond the U.S. dollar market that has defined the space so far, and it's exactly the kind of partnership we expect to see more of as financial institutions around the world move onchain.”
For the industry, a top-tier Korean securities firm exploring tokenization through OP Mainnet signals that regulated institutions in a major Asian market are ready to evaluate tokenization. For Optimism, it's the second time the OP Mainnet plus Securitize combination has landed a new institutional issuer: regulated institutions are choosing infrastructure with an existing track record over something unproven.
Frequently Asked Questions
What products will KB Securities tokenize first?
A tokenized money market fund for institutional clients and a fund built on one of KB Asset Management's flagship strategies.
What role does Securitize play?
Tokenization platform, fund administrator, or transfer agent, depending on how the final structure lands.
What role does Optimism play?
Optimism provides the technical infrastructure via the OP Stack, along with integration support, an account lead, and go-to-market support throughout the partnership.
Is this KB Securities' first move into tokenization?
Yes, the first partnership KB Securities has entered in this space with any partner.
Has a similar OP Mainnet plus Securitize partnership worked before?
Yes, this is the second time the OP Mainnet plus Securitize model has onboarded a new institutional issuer.
Glossary
- OP Mainnet: an Ethereum L2, live since Dec 2021, EVM-compatible, governed by the Optimism Collective, and supported by the Optimism Foundation.
- OP Stack: the open-source tech OP Mainnet runs on.
- MOU: a formal statement of intent to work together.
- Tokenized money market fund: a fund whose shares are recorded as blockchain tokens.
- Transfer agent: maintains ownership records, processes transfers.
Authored by
Optimism