KB Financial Group said it completed a proof-of-concept pilot for KRW stablecoin payments, settlement, and cross-border remittances using the Kaia blockchain, in collaboration with KG Inicis, Kaia Blockchain, and OpenAsset. According to local reports, the test covered the full digital money lifecycle from issuance to settlement, enabled offline QR payments without requiring a crypto wallet, and used Kaia’s on-chain liquidity to convert won stablecoins into dollar stablecoins for remittances to Vietnam through a local banking partner. The pilot reportedly reduced costs by 87% and cut transfer times from days to about three minutes. The update also places the project in the context of South Korea’s wider stablecoin push, including Shinhan Card’s April memorandum with the Solana Foundation and Bank of Korea comments favoring a phased approach that would initially allow strictly regulated commercial banks to issue won-based stablecoins.