KB Kookmin Card, MoonPay and Finger sign digital asset payment partnership
Version 2: A tech outlet’s report adds detail on the two cooperation tracks — foreign payments at Korean merchants and cross-border stablecoin settlement — and quotes MoonPay co-founder and Asia representative Lee Bu-geon; it describes the tie-up as between MoonPay and KB Kookmin Card, while the earlier outlets include Finger as a third partner.
In short
KB Kookmin Card said it signed a partnership with global digital asset payment infrastructure company MoonPay and fintech firm Finger to cooperate on digital asset and stablecoin-based payment services, with a joint concept proof planned. The partners will review services letting foreigners pay at Korean merchants with stablecoins and cross-border stablecoin payment models, and will discuss commercialisation based on the test results.
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KB Kookmin Card said it signed a partnership with MoonPay, described as a global digital asset payment infrastructure company, and the fintech company Finger, to cooperate on digital asset and stablecoin-based payment services. The company announced the agreement on October 6. Newsis reported the signing separately, saying MoonPay founder and chief executive Ivan Soto-Wright, KB Kookmin Card president Kim Jae-kwan and Finger chief executive Ahn In-ju posed for a commemorative photo at the signing. [ 1 , 2 ]
Under the agreement, the three companies will jointly seek business models that connect digital assets to actual payment and settlement, drawing on their respective payment infrastructure, digital asset services and fintech technology, Yonhap reported. They plan to review a service through which foreigners could pay at domestic merchants using stablecoins and other digital assets, as well as cross-border payment and settlement models. [ 1 , 3 ]
To that end, the companies will carry out a joint proof of concept intended to verify stability, convenience, interoperability and business feasibility in real payment environments, according to Yonhap, which said commercialisation and expansion of applied services would be discussed in stages based on the results. Kyunghyang Games reported the same verification plan, describing it as a check on safety, ease of use and inter-system linkage. [ 1 , 3 ]
KB Kookmin Card said the cooperation is notable because it examines in advance the possible connection between a new digital asset ecosystem — including digital asset wallets, stablecoins and blockchain networks — and existing card payment infrastructure. A KB Kookmin Card official said stable links with existing payment infrastructure and interoperability across platforms are important for digital assets to expand into real payment and settlement. MoonPay co-founder and Asia representative Lee Bu-geon said the user experience of connecting to existing payment infrastructure matters for digital assets to become an everyday payment method, and that the two companies would verify use cases in foreign payments in Korea and cross-border settlement. [ 1 , 3 ]
Kyunghyang Games described the cooperation as being pursued by MoonPay and KB Kookmin Card, while Yonhap and Newsis included Finger as a third partner. No document stated the value of the agreement, a binding commercial scope or a date for any service launch. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The companies described the cooperation as a test of whether digital asset wallets, stablecoins and blockchain networks can be connected to existing card payment infrastructure, a step toward a broader payments environment. With no terms, launch date or regulatory detail given, any effect on actual payment services remains undetermined.
Key facts
- KB Kookmin Card said it signed a partnership with MoonPay and Finger covering digital asset and stablecoin-based payment services. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The three companies will jointly look for business models that link digital assets to real payment and settlement, the company said. [ 1 ]
- They plan to review a service allowing foreigners to pay at domestic merchants using stablecoins and other digital assets, as well as cross-border payment models. [ 1 , 3 ]
- A joint proof of concept will verify stability, convenience, interoperability and business feasibility in actual payment environments. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The companies said they will discuss commercialisation and expansion of applied services step by step based on the verification results. [ 1 ]
- MoonPay founder and chief executive Ivan Soto-Wright, KB Kookmin Card president Kim Jae-kwan and Finger chief executive Ahn In-ju took part in a commemorative photo, Newsis reported. [ 2 ]
- MoonPay co-founder and Asia representative Lee Bu-geon said the user experience of connecting to existing payment infrastructure is important for digital assets to expand as an everyday payment method. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What the partnership is worth and whether any commercial service has been agreed or scheduled. No document states financial terms, a binding commercial scope or a service launch date; the companies describe joint verification and later discussion.
- Which companies are party to the cooperation. Yonhap and Newsis name three partners — KB Kookmin Card, MoonPay and Finger — while the tech outlet Kyunghyang Games describes the cooperation as between MoonPay and KB Kookmin Card alone.
- Who would be eligible for the service and under what regulatory conditions. Only the intended test of payments by foreigners at domestic merchants is mentioned, with no detail on eligibility or rules.