Svmuu sources have revealed that OKX and Korea Investment & Securities are in discussions to each acquire about a 20% stake in Coinone. The specific investment strategy is likely structured around issuing new shares rather than selling existing ones, aiming to maximize capital inflow. This equity participation appears to be primarily a financial investment and will not alter Coinone's management control.
Currently, Coinone's major shareholders include The One Group (34.30% stake), Com2uS Holdings [063080] (21.95% stake), CEO Cha Myung-hoon (19.14% stake), and Com2uS Plus (16.47% stake).
Industry observers believe OKX may not limit itself to a simple financial investment in the future and could also seek to participate in management or gain substantive influence. If the acquisition is successful, this transaction would be the second time in history that a major overseas exchange has attempted to gain management control of a Korean won-based exchange, following Binance's acquisition of a stake in Streami (Gopax).