Meritz Securities Says Institutions Will Drive Digital Assets, Expand Tokenized Securities Business

RWA Signal Insight
InfrastructureKang Byung-ha, executive director of strategic planning at Meritz Securities, asserts that the digital-asset market is transitioning from speculative retail demand to institutional-led growth driven by real financial utility. This shift is characterized by the integration of tokenized securities, stablecoins, and blockchain-based payment infrastructure into traditional financial business models. Meritz Securities is actively preparing for this evolution by establishing a dedicated digital-assets team to explore tokenized non-standardized securities and future brokerage opportunities. The firm anticipates that blockchain technology will enhance market efficiency by lowering transaction costs, increasing liquidity, and enabling 24/7 trading cycles. Furthermore, the convergence of blockchain with artificial intelligence is expected to automate complex processes like trade execution and KYC, significantly reducing settlement times. While traditional and digital markets will likely remain distinct for the next three to five years, their increasing points of contact signal a long-term structural transformation. Ultimately, the ability of financial firms to adapt to this on-chain infrastructure will become a critical determinant of their future competitive advantage.
Key points
- Meritz Securities is developing tokenized securities and blockchain-based payment infrastructure for future deployment.
- The firm plans to focus initially on tokenizing non-standardized securities as regulatory frameworks evolve.
- Blockchain and AI integration aims to automate KYC and trade settlement to reduce operational costs.
- The next 3-5 years will represent a hybrid phase of gradual convergence between traditional and digital finance.
Background
Meritz Securities is a major South Korean financial services firm providing investment banking, brokerage, and asset management services. The company is currently positioning itself to bridge the gap between traditional capital markets and blockchain-based financial infrastructure by exploring the tokenization of various asset classes.