South Korean financial group Mirae Asset is making a major push into crypto as a potential next growth driver, planning to build a digital asset business worth 150 trillion won (approximately $109 billion) around its Digital X exchange.

The strategy centers on Digital X, the exchange formerly known as Korbit, of which Mirae Asset Consulting acquired 97.15% of the shares in July. Korbit, launched in 2013, was one of South Korea's earliest cryptocurrency exchanges, and the deal gave Mirae Asset a regulated on-ramp into one of the world's most active retail crypto markets, where the won regularly ranks among the most-traded fiat currencies in global crypto trading.

Digital X Becomes the Group's Crypto Hub

Chairman and founder Park Hyeon-joo outlined Mirae's plans at a Digital X employee gathering in Seoul. The group intends to embed the platform within its overall “Mirae Asset 3.0” strategy. Mirae Asset is one of South Korea's largest asset managers and built its international footprint partly through its Global X ETF business in the United States.

The headline figure is substantial: 150 trillion won ($109 billion) in digital assets, set against Mirae Asset's existing client asset base of roughly 1.5 trillion won.

Digital X is not meant to remain simply a cryptocurrency trading venue. The platform is envisioned as a more comprehensive blockchain finance business, likely organized around four main companies: cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, real-world assets, and security token offerings.

The stablecoin pillar lines up with policy momentum in Seoul, where the financial regulator has proposed allowing qualified institutions to issue won-backed stablecoins and lawmakers are weighing legislation to that effect. Dollar-linked tokens such as USDT and USDC currently dominate the stablecoin market.

Tokenization Moves Beyond Crypto

One of the more notable components of the plan is the tokenization of physical assets. Digital X intends to investigate blockchain representations of physical and illiquid assets — such as gold, silver, and electricity — and introduce these traditionally offline assets to the digital marketplace through blockchain.

That effort tracks a wider industry shift toward real-world asset tokenization, in which global asset managers including BlackRock have launched tokenized funds and major banks have trialed tokenized deposits and securities.

The company also plans to launch financial products designed around digital assets and to make investments in its own products. Its long-term vision is a unified platform on which traditional financial and digital assets operate together.

Up to $218 Million in New Capital

Mirae Asset frames the expansion as a long-term undertaking rather than a short-term stock bet. The group aims to turn Digital X into a profitable business by 2027 while continuing to develop its infrastructure and product offering.

The company is prepared to provide a further capital injection of up to 300 billion won, or about $218 million. If Digital X's earnings continue to grow strongly, Mirae Asset may consider a third-party allotment of 200 billion to 300 billion won in the first quarter of 2027.

The push follows Mirae Asset Consulting's acquisition of 97.15% of Korbit, which was subsequently rebranded as Digital X. Leading up to the move, Mirae Asset gained exposure to crypto assets mainly through investments. With Digital X positioned at the heart of crypto, stablecoins, and tokenization, the exchange is expected to serve as the group's primary hub for expanding its on-chain finance services.