Hanwha Investment & Securities is developing a blockchain-based securities marketplace in South Korea, with plans to launch the platform in the first half of 2027 as the country introduces a legal framework for tokenized assets.
Known as the Digital Asset Platform (DAP), the service will run on Avalanche and initially serve high-net-worth individuals and family offices. Its planned offering includes access to private-market assets such as hedge funds, private credit, real estate, intellectual property and unlisted shares.
Platform launch will coincide with new securities rules
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission announced a phased roadmap for tokenized securities on September 4, 2026. The first phase is scheduled to begin on February 4, 2027, bringing tokenized securities within the existing framework of the Digital Securities Act and the Capital Markets Act.
Phase 1 is expected to focus on institutional products, including money market funds, corporate bonds, unlisted shares held through trust structures and fractional investment securities. Hanwha intends to pursue international markets with more permissive rules before the domestic framework is fully implemented.
Avalanche gains further exposure in South Korea
The planned DAP adds to Avalanche’s activity in South Korea’s institutional market. POSCO International, the trading and investment arm of steelmaker POSCO, completed a tokenized trade receivables pilot on Avalanche on August 25, 2026.
Hanwha has also invested approximately KRW 18 billion in Kresus, a US-based Web3 infrastructure company focused on tokenization, supporting its broader push into blockchain-based financial products.
Boston Consulting Group estimates that South Korea’s tokenized securities market could reach around 367 trillion won, or approximately $250 billion, by 2030. The regulatory roadmap gives financial institutions a defined timeline for developing products ahead of the first phase’s February 2027 start.
