Digital Asset expands cooperation with Shinhan, Hanwha, targets onchain shift in South Korea finance
RWA Signal Insight
InfrastructureDigital Asset, a U.S.-based blockchain infrastructure firm, is deepening its strategic footprint in South Korea through partnerships with Shinhan Financial Group and Hanwha Investment & Securities. Shinhan Asset Management has officially become the first South Korean firm to serve as a super validator on the Canton Network, a permissioned blockchain designed for institutional finance. Shinhan Financial is currently evaluating the integration of its payment, settlement, and securities tokenization infrastructure with the Canton ecosystem. Simultaneously, Hanwha Investment & Securities has invested approximately 30 billion won into Digital Asset to bolster its next-generation financial services. CEO Yuval Rooz emphasized that the collaboration aims to modernize trade finance, cross-border payments, and the tokenization of domestic equities for global accessibility. By aligning with South Korean regulatory frameworks, Digital Asset seeks to facilitate the onchain transition of traditional products like ETFs and money market funds. This expansion highlights the growing institutional interest in utilizing interoperable, permissioned networks to bridge South Korean export-driven industries with global capital markets.
Key points
- Shinhan Asset Management joined the Canton Network as its first South Korean super validator.
- Hanwha Investment & Securities completed a strategic investment of 30 billion won in Digital Asset.
- Digital Asset is targeting trade finance and cross-border payments for South Korea's export-heavy economy.
- The Canton Network enables permissioned, regulatory-compliant onchain operations for institutional financial services.
Background
Digital Asset is a software company that developed the Canton Network, a privacy-enabled, interoperable blockchain specifically built for institutional assets. Unlike public blockchains, it allows financial institutions to maintain strict control over data privacy and regulatory compliance while participating in a shared, global network. It is widely used by major banks to tokenize securities and automate complex settlement processes.