South Korea puts token securities into broader capital-market overhaul

The Financial Services Commission is tying tokenized securities to faster settlement, longer trading hours and wider AI use, with a settlement roadmap due by October and the token securities regime expected in February 2027.

Summary

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission is embedding token securities into a broader capital-market reform agenda rather than treating them as a standalone digital-asset policy. The package includes faster settlement, longer trading hours and wider AI use, while a settlement roadmap is due by October. The Korea Securities Depository plans to build an OTC settlement system for unlisted shares and fractional products by the end of 2026, and the token securities regime is expected to take effect in February 2027. The plan shows blockchain-based securities infrastructure being developed alongside mainstream trading and post-trade reforms as part of a wider market modernization effort.

Terms & Concepts
  • token securities: Securities issued or represented using blockchain-based digital infrastructure.
  • settlement roadmap: A plan setting out how trade settlement systems and timelines will be upgraded.
  • OTC settlement system: Infrastructure used to complete trades in over-the-counter markets, which operate outside public exchanges.