KB Kookmin Bank discussed with the Kakao Group the direction of development for the digital asset market and set out roles banks can take 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 the Kakao Group on Sept. 28 at the Westin Josun Parnas in Seoul.

The conference, held as part of the East Point: Seoul 2026 event, drew about 150 people 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 the core of finance remains trust even in the digital asset market.

"Even as technology advances, the essence of finance does not change in that customers must be able to entrust their assets with peace of mind," Seo said. "We will expand the trust KB has built into the digital domain and build financial infrastructure with partners that connects the issuance and distribution of digital value."

Lee Sang-ryul (이상률), head of KB Kookmin Bank's DT Promotion Department, said in a discussion session that banks can serve as a "Trust Layer" in the digital asset market, including through reserve asset management and anti-money laundering.

A KB Kookmin Bank official said the bank would continue preparing financial infrastructure and services that customers can trust in response to changes in the digital asset market.