On May 28, three Samsung affiliates—Samsung Securities, Samsung SDS, and Samsung Card—announced they had jointly bought a 4% stake in Dunamu, the company behind South Korea’s leading crypto exchange, Upbit. The deal is worth about 612.8 billion won, or $408 million. This is the latest example of South Korean financial institutions racing to secure strategic positions in the country’s most valuable digital asset company.
The shares are being purchased from a group of Kakao-linked funds, including Kakao Investment and Kakao Ventures, at a price of around 439,250 won per share. This values Dunamu at roughly 15.3 trillion won, or about $11.1 billion, according to Wu Blockchain and the Korea Times. Samsung Securities will take a 2% stake, while Samsung SDS and Samsung Card will each take 1%. The deal is expected to close on June 19.
Each Samsung affiliate has its own strategic reason for the investment. Samsung Securities plans to strengthen cooperation on token securities issuance, distribution, and virtual asset services. Samsung SDS, the group’s IT and cloud arm, will combine its AI, cybersecurity, and data management skills with Dunamu’s blockchain operations. Samsung Card, the payments unit, aims to build a digital asset payment system with Dunamu, possibly integrating with Monimo, Samsung Financial Networks’ unified financial platform—depending on the launch of won-based stablecoins in Korea.
These three goals—securities tokenization, blockchain infrastructure, and stablecoin payments—align with South Korea’s Digital Asset Basic Act, which is expected to be finalized in 2026.
Samsung’s $408 million investment comes as other major South Korean financial institutions are also moving in on Dunamu. Earlier this month, Hana Bank agreed to buy a 6.55% stake for about 1 trillion won ($670 million). Hanwha Investment and Securities increased its Dunamu holdings to 9.84%, investing an additional 597.8 billion won, making it one of the largest non-founding shareholders.
Dunamu reported a net profit of 708.8 billion won on revenues of 1.56 trillion won in fiscal 2025, and handles over 80% of South Korea’s virtual asset trading volume.
A Samsung official told the Korea Times that the investment aims to boost each affiliate’s competitiveness in digital asset businesses, and that closer ties with Dunamu could help them take leading roles in South Korea’s emerging digital asset market.
This marks a key moment for the integration of the crypto sector with Korean corporate giants. A Samsung investment in a crypto exchange—even just 4%—carries symbolic weight beyond the money involved. It signals that South Korea’s most powerful industrial group now sees digital asset infrastructure as central to its financial services strategy for the next decade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Samsungs 408 million investment in South Koreas biggest crypto exchange written in a natural conversational tone
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Wait Samsung invested in a crypto exchange I thought they made phones
Yes Samsung is a massive conglomerate that makes everything from phones to semiconductors This investment shows they see big potential in the cryptocurrency industry not just gadgets
2 Which crypto exchange did they invest in
They invested in Bithumb which is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea
3 How much did Samsung invest
Samsung invested 408 million
4 Does this mean I can buy Samsung phones with crypto on Bithumb now
Not directly from this investment Its a strategic financial move not a retail partnership However it could lead to future collaborations between Samsungs tech and Bithumbs platform
5 Are they the only big company investing in crypto exchanges
No they are not the only one The article mentions they are not the only one meaning other major traditional companies are also investing in crypto exchanges as the industry gains mainstream acceptance
Intermediate Advanced Questions
6 Why would a company like Samsung invest so much money in a crypto exchange
The main reasons include diversifying their investment portfolio gaining exposure to the booming blockchaincrypto market and positioning themselves to offer cryptorelated services to their existing users in the future
7 Is this investment a sign that the South Korean government is becoming more friendly to crypto
Potentially South Korea has been a major crypto hub but with strict regulations A massive investment by a national champion like Samsung suggests they believe the regulatory environment will remain stable or become more favorable making it a safe bet
8 What does this mean for the price of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies
In the short term its a positive signal because it shows institutional confidence In the long term it adds legitimacy but it doesnt directly control the price of any specific coin
9 How does Samsungs investment compare to other big corporate crypto investments
Its one of the largest single investments by a traditional tech giant into a specific exchange For comparison companies like Micro