Shinhan Asset Management Partners with Plume for Won-Denominated Tokenization

The partnership focuses on evaluating the technical and regulatory infrastructure required to bring Korean financial products to a global audience. By utilizing ultra-short-term bond funds as the underlying asset, the companies intend to experiment with on-chain transfer controls, whitelisting mechanisms, and mandatory KYC/AML compliance systems. Shinhan CEO Lee Seok-won noted that the project is designed as an isolated structure, strictly preventing acquisition by domestic residents to ensure full regulatory alignment during the testing phase.

Plume, which holds a U.S. SEC-registered transfer agent license, will provide the technical framework for the pilot. The platform recently joined the Digital Assets Solutions Industry Working Group organized by the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation to help define global standards for tokenization. While the current agreement is limited to a proof of concept conducted in a third-party jurisdiction, both firms view this as a foundational step toward connecting high-quality Korean assets with international investors. Future expansion into broader markets remains contingent on continued dialogue with financial authorities and the formal development of domestic token securities regulations.