Upbit:- In a major crypto acquisition update, Samsung Securities has announced plans to acquire a 2% stake in Dunamu. Dunamu is the parent company of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit.
According to local reports and company disclosures, Samsung Securities approved the investment through a board resolution. It will invest approximately 306.3 billion won (around $204 million) to purchase nearly 697,000 shares in Dunamu. The transaction values Dunamu at approximately 15.3 trillion won, or roughly $10.2 billion.
The deal becomes all the more significant as Upbit reportedly serves more than 10 million registered users. This make it South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
Samsung Securities Acquire Upbit
The stake acquisition is part of a broader investment involving multiple Samsung affiliates. Samsung SDS and Samsung Card are also expected to acquire stakes in Dunamu, taking the combined investment by Samsung-linked entities to nearly 612.8 billion won. That’s around $408 million.
Interestingly, Dunamu is currently a privately held company and is not publicly listed on any stock exchange. But its implied share price is around 439,000 won per share or $290 per share.
Samsung Securities said the investment is aimed at strengthening its competitiveness in the digital asset sector. It will be creating synergies across future blockchain and financial technology initiatives.
The development marks one of the most notable institutional investments into South Korea’s crypto sector in recent years.
Founded in 2012, Dunamu operates Upbit, which has grown into one of Asia’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume. A recent Reuters report put its market share above 80%, making it one of the most important digital asset platforms in Asia.
The company has also expanded into blockchain technology, fintech services, and Web3-related initiatives beyond exchange operations.
In addition to confirming the investment, Samsung affiliates reportedly said the partnership could lead to future collaboration. This could blockchain-based financial products, payment systems, and AI-linked blockchain technologies..
Upbit Founder Song Chi-hyung Still the Major Shareholder
The latest investment also follows a series of major institutional acquisitions in Dunamu over the past year.
Following the latest Samsung-linked investment, Dunamu’s largest shareholders now include founder and chairman Song Chi-hyung with 25.51%, Vice Chairman Kim Hyoung-nyon with 13.1%. This is followed by Hanwha Investment & Securities with 9.84%, Woori Technology Investment with 7.2%, and Hana Financial Group with 6.55%.
Earlier, Hanwha Investment & Securities increased its stake in the company from 5.94% to to 9.84%. Hana Financial Group also acquired cquired a 6.55% stake through Hana Bank.
Despite the new investments, Dunamu continues to remain largely controlled by its founder Song Chi-hyung and existing key shareholders linked to the company’s early leadership and strategic investors.
The investment also comes at a time when South Korea is accelerating its push toward regulated crypto adoption and digital asset development. Earlier this year, the country ended a years-long ban that had limited institutional and corporate crypto investment activity. South Korea has also approved tokenized securities.
However, regulators in the country have simultaneously increased scrutiny around digital asset activities. Recently, as per Coingape report last week, authorities began investigating Polymarket over potential gambling law violations.
Sneha Agrawal 
Share