TechFlow News, April 7: According to DL News, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire plans to visit South Korea next week to hold working meetings with senior executives from major commercial banks—including KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, and Hana Bank—as well as leading cryptocurrency exchanges such as Upbit, Bithumb, and Coinone. Key discussion topics include expanding USDC’s use cases in South Korea, international payment collaboration, and cross-chain technical support.
Against the backdrop of this visit, USDC trading volume in South Korea has surged significantly. In the past 24 hours, USDC accounted for 95% of trading volume on Korbit and nearly 60% on Coinone.
KB Kookmin Bank previously completed a proof-of-concept test with Circle on Circle’s Mint platform in June 2025. During this upcoming visit, both parties are expected to further explore expanding USDC applications and potential collaboration on a won-denominated stablecoin. Currently, the Bank of Korea requires that won stablecoins be issued by consortia that include commercial banks—placing major banks at the center of the stablecoin ecosystem.
