Kakao Piccoma, a Japanese digital comics' subscription service and subsidiary of the Korean internet company Kakao, has purchased a 50% controlling stake in the Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, Sakura Exchange Bitcoin (SEBC). That makes Kakao its largest shareholder and the deal is also expected to help Kakao offer cryptocurrency services on its Piccoma webtoon platform, and expand aggresively into Web3, according to local media reports. Piccoma is the largest webtoon platform in Japan, and in 2021 its app marked $1 billion in consumer spend after six years in the Japanese market. The amount Kakao paid for its stake in the exchange …

Klaytn (KLAY) had a promising start in March 2021, reaching an impressive $11 billion market capitalization following its debut. However, investors have exaggerated their expectations as the token's current total value stands at $3 billion, down roughly 70%. Although not as well known as the leading smart contract blockchains, Klaytn remains a top-35 token by capitalization rank. Moreover, the network holds $1.2 billion worth of deposits locked on smart contracts. Capital locked on smart contracts is known in the industry as total value locked, or TVL. Real use cases and strong backing Klaytn is a flexible modular network architecture created …

South Korea’s nonfungible token (NFT) space has rapidly expanded throughout 2021 led by the growth of crypto and NFT services offered by Kakao, but competitors are entering the fray. The NFT market in South Korea could be on a path for even more expansion following the Nov. 5 government ruling that NFT purchases will not incur taxes. Klaytn, the blockchain developed by Korean tech startups Kakao and GroundX, is the obvious first choice for Koreans searching for a network to buy and sell NFT’s. Klaytn’s market dominance in Korea is unrivaled as KakaoTalk, Kakao’s flagship products suite, has over 52 …

Singapore is reportedly the next port of call for Kakao’s globalization agenda for its legacy blockchain platform Klaytn. According to a report by The Korea Herald on Monday, Kakao has established two new blockchain-based entities — the Klaytn Foundation and Krust — in the city-state. The Klaytn Foundation is a nonprofit organization, while Krust serves as a global accelerator for blockchain technology adoption. Kakao plans to use both entities to foster broad-based penetration of its Klaytn blockchain project in Singapore. Stating its mission during the launch earlier in August, the Kakao Foundation said that it would work “proactively and systematically” …

Affiliates of South Korean internet giants Naver and Kakao are among the top contenders to work on the country’s first central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilots. On Monday, the Bank of Korea (BoK) announced the preliminary bid results for participating digital won pilots, local news agency Yonhap reported. Kakao’s blockchain subsidiary Ground X, Naver-affiliated Line Plus and conglomerate SK Group were the top three companies that submitted applications for a 10-month CBDC pilot contract. The BoK now plans to select an operator to run a blockchain-based simulation project for the digital won. The bank expects to reach a decision next …

Ethereum software company ConsenSys has formed a technical partnership with Kakao’s Klaytn blockchain, with a goal to develop a private platform for the issuance of a South Korean central bank digital currency, or CBDC. Klaytn is a public blockchain developed by Ground X, a blockchain affiliate of the South Korean internet company Kakao. Best known for its Kakao Talk mobile messaging app, Kakao has since branched out into the shopping and travel industries, among others. In 2019, the company commenced work on the Klaytn blockchain, which by the time of publication has the 25th-largest market capitalization in the cryptocurrency space. …

With crypto trading reportedly reaching feverish proportions in South Korea, internet giant Kakao might be set for an upward share price advance. Quoting comments from analysts Mirae Asset Daewoo — a South Korean brokerage outfit — The Korea Herald has reported that the chat app operator stands to benefit from the ongoing enthusiasm in the Bitcoin (BTC) market. According to Mirae Asset Daewoo analyst Kim Chang-kwon: “Kakao owns about a 23 percent stake directly and indirectly in Upbit’s operator Dunamu. Since Upbit has already surpassed its record-high traffic and trading amount set in the fourth quarter of 2017, we expect …

Data indicates that Coinone, a South Korean exchange, saw its user base rise by about 10,000 people per month after listing Kakao’s klaytn (KLAY) token in June. The token was listed after Kakao, a tech giant who runs the most popular chat app in South Korea, made crypto transactions a part of their messaging app, KakaoTalk. Shortly after launch, Kakao announced that their messenger’s new crypto wallet function had surpassed 100,000 users in less than a day. KLAY’s surge in value, which has more than tripled over three months, has led to rising volumes on other exchanges as well, the …

South Korea’s well-known chat application, Kakao, bolsters its presence in blockchain and crypto with its partnership with a non-fungible token-powered trading platform and its new crypto wallet Klip. According to Hanguk Kyungjae, the trading company Angel League will receive support from Kakao’s Klip platform for its digital certificates based on NFTs. Angel League allows groups of investors to jointly purchase the stocks of startups in the “pre-IPO” stage. The members, known as “lead angels,” are selected through a recruitment process to incorporate new people willing to sign a stock trading contract to operate on the platform. The trading company will …

South Korean tech giant, Kakao, listed its Klaytn blockchain-issued Klay (KLAY) token via a local cryptocurrency exchange on June 5. This news follows their launch of a new crypto wallet feature in KakaoTalk earlier the week. After registering over 100,000 users thanks to their new crypto-related features, Tech M reports that Kakao reached an agreement with Coinone to list its KLAY tokens. A Klay-South Korean won pairing is now live trading in one of the top four crypto exchanges in the country. ICOs are still illegal in South Korea The move is significant for Kakao, considering that initial coin offerings, …

South Korean company, Kakao, announced that its new crypto wallet function surpassed 100,000 users in less than a day in its chat app, KakaoTalk. The feature went live on June 3. According to the internet giant, KakaoTalk’s Klip was launched with support for 11 cryptocurrencies. Nearly 90% of the country’s population currently uses the chat app, and the company hopes to draw them all into the crypto sphere. Klip is a mobile wallet that allows users to experience digital assets like Klay (KLAY), BOX, Pet (BPT), PIBBLE (PIB), HINT, ENT (ATT), TEMCO, Binz (BNS), Pixel (PXL), Insurium (ISR), and Cosm …

Yeo Min-soo, the CEO of South Korean internet giant Kakao, said that his firm’s Klaytn blockchain is similar to Facebook’s Libra except it is way ahead in its development. According to the Korea Herald on Nov. 28, Min-soo lauded Klatyn’s development during the first Klaytn Governance Council Summit held in Seoul: “Facebook’s Libra launched last month with aims to recruit 100 partners. Libra is taking a similar approach to ours, but it has yet to experience the milestones we have crossed. [...] Next year, Klaytn will become Asia’s biggest blockchain consortium.” The Klaytn platform, which is developed by Kakao’s blockchain …