South Korea plans to launch a fully operational tokenized securities market by February 2027.
Regulation & Gov ·
South Korea has outlined a three-stage framework to tokenize securities, with a target launch of February 2027 for a fully operational market. The initiative aims to eventually permit onchain settlement of tokenized securities using stablecoins, representing a structural shift toward blockchain-based capital markets infrastructure.
The rollout is structured in phases, beginning with pilot programs before expanding to broader market participation. The scope encompasses all types of securities rather than a limited asset class, signaling an ambition to digitize the country's securities ecosystem at scale. Stablecoin settlement represents a key technical component, enabling real-time clearing and settlement onchain.
The plan's execution timeline, regulatory guardrails for each phase, and the specific stablecoins eligible for settlement remain to be detailed. It is also unclear whether the framework applies solely to domestic issuance and trading or includes cross-border participation.