Samsung units to buy $408 million stake in South Korea’s biggest crypto exchange

Samsung Securities is acceptable to instrumentality a 2% involvement successful Dunamu, worthy implicit $200 million, from affiliates of exertion conglomerate Kakao.

May 28, 2026, 10:55 a.m. 2 min read

What to know:

Three Samsung affiliates agreed to bargain a 4% involvement successful Dunamu, the relation of South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Upbit, for a full of 612.8 cardinal won ($408 million), the Korea Herald reported.

Investment slope Samsung Securities is acceptable to instrumentality a 2% involvement successful Dunamu successful a 306 billion-won currency transaction, from affiliates of exertion conglomerate Kakao, according to a Thursday filing. It is joined by recognition paper supplier Samsung Card and IT limb Samsung SDS, each taking a 1% stake, according to the Korea Herald.

The deals, scheduled to implicit connected June 19, mean Kakao volition person sold astir $1.5 cardinal worthy of equity successful Dunamu successful little than a month. It sold a 6.55% involvement for astir 1 trillion won to Seoul-based fiscal instauration Hana Bank astir 2 weeks ago, followed by a 600 cardinal won stake to Hanwha Investment and Securities.

In communal with galore exertion giants, Kakao has made artificial quality an progressively cardinal portion of its strategy done its "Kanana" AI models and partnerships with OpenAI. With the cryptocurrency marketplace successful a sustained bearish mood, crypto is taking a backseat to AI for a batch of large companies' concern priorities.

Samsung, the largest institution successful South Korea, has been actively progressive successful the crypto manufacture for respective years, having introduced its integer plus wallet successful 2019.

Samsung Securities shares fell 2.7%, Samsung SDS dropped 5% and Samsung Card gained 0.21% connected Thursday. Kakao slipped 1%.

The companies had not responded to a CoinDesk petition for remark by work time.

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