KB Kookmin Bank discussed the development direction of the digital asset market with Kakao Group and presented the roles banks can play in the digital asset ecosystem, including reserve asset management and anti-money laundering.

KB Kookmin Bank said on Sept. 29 it co-hosted the Next Finance Korea 2026 conference with Kakao Group on Sept. 28 at the Westin Seoul Parnas.

Held as part of the East Point: Seoul 2026 event, the conference drew about 150 participants from the domestic and overseas digital asset and financial industries to discuss the direction of the digital asset market and the role of financial institutions.

Seo Ki-won (서기원), a senior executive vice president in KB Kookmin Bank’s management planning group, delivered a keynote speech titled “KB’s journey into digital assets: What we are preparing” and stressed that finance’s core is trust even in the digital asset market.

"Even as technology advances, finance’s essence does not change: customers must be able to entrust their assets with peace of mind," Seo said. "KB will extend the trust it has built into the digital domain and build financial infrastructure with partners to connect the issuance and distribution of digital value."

Lee Sang-ryul (이상률), head of KB Kookmin Bank’s digital transformation promotion unit, said in a discussion session that banks can serve as a “Trust Layer” in the digital asset market, including reserve asset management and anti-money laundering.

A KB Kookmin Bank official said, "We will continue preparing financial infrastructure and services that customers can trust as we respond to changes in the digital asset market."