Online investment-linked finance company Eight Percent is joining hands with blockchain platform Kaia to build investment infrastructure that links overseas investors to Korean loan receivables assets. The two plan to set up a real-world asset (RWA) investment structure based on rights to receive principal and interest on loan claims, with the aim of widening channels for global funds to flow in.

Eight Percent said on Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kaia to build RWA investment infrastructure based on rights to receive principal and interest on loan claims.

The agreement is a cross-border financing project that links rights to receive principal and interest on Korean loan claims operated by Eight Percent with Kaia's global investor network in its ecosystem. It aims to create a channel for overseas investors to access Korean financial assets and expand the possibility of overseas funds flowing into the domestic asset market.

Eight Percent and Kaia plan to raise global investor access to Korean financial assets through the cooperation. They are currently verifying the initial structure through a pilot operation and plan to expand investment size and target asset classes in stages.

The two aim to upgrade blockchain-based infrastructure that connects a range of domestic alternative assets with global investors, starting with rights to receive principal and interest on loan claims, and to broaden the reach of Korea's digital finance industry.

Song Bo-geun (송보근), head of the RWA unit at Eight Percent, said the goal was to create an environment in which global investors can more easily access Korea's high-quality loan receivables assets. He stressed that Eight Percent would build an investment gateway that enables overseas funds to flow steadily into assets based on Korea's real economy, contributing to Korea's growth into a hub of Asia's fintech industry.

Lee Hwan (이환), a team leader at Kaia, said he expected the project to become a meaningful precedent connecting Korean real assets with global investors, as Kaia is a key player in Asia's on-chain financial infrastructure. He said the company would create cases in which domestic fintech services are chosen by global investors.