Mirae Asset is looking to turn its control of South Korean crypto exchange Digital X into a large-scale digital asset platform, targeting 150 trillion won (about $109 billion) in business value, according to The Korea Times.

The plan builds on Mirae Asset Consulting’s acquisition of a controlling 97.15% stake in Korbit last July—an effort the report describes as the first time a South Korean financial group affiliate has taken control of a domestic crypto exchange. After the takeover, Korbit was rebranded as Digital X.

Key takeaways

Mirae Asset aims to grow Digital X into a broad digital asset business worth 150 trillion won, focused on crypto, stablecoins, real-world assets, and security tokens.
The strategy follows Mirae Asset Consulting’s July acquisition of a 97.15% stake in Korbit for a total 141.4 billion won, with the exchange later renamed Digital X.
Digital X has started waiving trading fees for won-denominated assets, with the zero-fee period planned through Aug. 24, 2027.
The initiative comes despite Korbit—Digital X’s predecessor—having only about 0.5% of South Korea’s crypto trading market in 2025, per the country’s Fair Trade Commission.

From Korbit control to Digital X’s expansion blueprint

Digital X’s projected growth is anchored in what The Korea Times says will be a multi-pronged digital asset lineup. The report states Digital X will focus on cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, real-world assets (RWAs), and security token offerings (STOs).

Beyond tokenized financial products, the outlet also reports that the exchange is considering tokenizing physical assets such as gold, silver, and—more unusually—electricity. If pursued, that would position Digital X at the intersection of tokenization narratives and tangible-asset markets, where product design, custody, and regulatory treatment tend to be complex.

Why Mirae Asset’s stake matters for South Korea’s exchange landscape

According to The Korea Times, Mirae Asset Consulting completed its purchase of the 97.15% stake in Korbit in July for a cumulative 141.4 billion won. The deal effectively gave a major financial group affiliate control of a domestic exchange—something the report highlights as a first in South Korea.

That matters because it suggests the market may be shifting from niche crypto venues to exchange models backed by large financial institutions. Such a transition typically brings new priorities—risk management frameworks, institutional-grade product standards, and distribution through broader financial services—though the exact implementation details were not provided in the report.

For context, Korbit’s scale was modest before the rebrand. The Korea Times notes that despite being founded in 2013, Korbit represented just 0.5% of South Korea’s crypto trading market in 2025, citing the country’s Fair Trade Commission. That creates an immediate tension for the new strategy: Mirae Asset’s large target implies a substantial expansion in both users and product depth beyond the exchange’s prior market share.

Fee waivers and the push to widen won-denominated activity

Digital X has already begun changing its trading economics. As reported in the original coverage, on Monday the exchange started waiving trading fees across all won-denominated assets, with the policy scheduled to last through Aug. 24, 2027.

On its face, fee reduction is a competitive lever: it can lower trading costs for active users and improve liquidity during periods when exchanges often compete on price. However, investors and traders typically watch for follow-on effects—such as whether volumes rise enough to offset reduced revenue per trade, and whether the firm’s broader tokenization and stablecoin roadmap receives a corresponding ramp-up in product availability.

Digital X’s stated fee change is tied to its won-denominated markets, and readers can review the exchange’s trading fee information via its own site: https://korbit.co.kr/info/fee/?tab=trade.

Leadership messaging: “Mirae Asset 3.0” and a platform approach

In the lead-up to its expansion, Mirae Asset founder and chairman Park Hyeon-joo reportedly discussed the initiative at an employee event in Seoul on Wednesday. The Korea Times says Park positioned Digital X as a core component of “Mirae Asset 3.0.”

That framing is significant because it indicates the project is not being treated solely as an operational acquisition; it is being pitched as part of a wider corporate evolution. Still, the report does not spell out how Digital X will integrate with other Mirae Asset businesses or what governance and risk controls will be applied as the platform adds stablecoins, RWAs, and security tokens.

Next, market participants should watch how Digital X converts its long-term ambition—tokenizing assets and supporting STOs—into concrete regulatory and product milestones, while also tracking whether the multi-year fee waiver meaningfully boosts trading activity in won-denominated markets. The scale of the 150 trillion won target sets a high bar, and the critical question will be whether the exchange can grow beyond its earlier market share while sustaining a viable revenue model.