Ondo Finance Says Global Demand for Korean Stocks Is Strong, Sees Big Tokenization Upside at EastPoint: Seoul 2026
RWA Signal Insight
InfrastructureOndo Finance is actively targeting the South Korean market to bridge the gap between local financial assets and global investors through blockchain tokenization. Kunal Patel, head of institutional business development for Asia and the Middle East, emphasized that tokenization serves as a structural evolution for financial markets rather than a mere efficiency upgrade. By partnering with firms like Mirae Asset Global Investments and KakaoPay Securities, Ondo aims to tokenize locally listed stocks and ETFs to overcome traditional barriers like time-zone constraints and complex account-opening requirements. South Korea currently ranks as Ondo's second-largest market by trading volume and first in active user accounts, signaling significant local appetite for on-chain assets. The company leverages its existing global distribution infrastructure and experience managing over $4 billion in on-chain assets to facilitate these cross-border investments. Patel noted that the firm is exploring the inclusion of Asian financial assets into its Ondo Intelligent Portfolios while advocating for regulatory frameworks that connect domestic markets to global liquidity. This strategic expansion highlights the growing importance of South Korea as a key hub for the global RWA tokenization ecosystem.
Key points
- Ondo Finance manages over $4 billion in on-chain assets globally.
- South Korea ranks first globally in Ondo's active user accounts and traders.
- Ondo signed an MOU with KakaoPay Securities to tokenize local Korean stocks.
- Partnership with Mirae Asset focuses on distributing US-listed products into on-chain markets.
Background
Ondo Finance is a prominent RWA tokenization platform that bridges traditional financial instruments, such as U.S. Treasuries and equities, with blockchain technology. The protocol allows investors to access yield-bearing assets on-chain, providing liquidity and 24/7 trading capabilities for products that were previously restricted by traditional market hours and settlement cycles.