KakaoBank Vows to Lead Stablecoin Push, Shift to AI-Native Bank

KakaoBank said it will lead the issuance and distribution of stablecoins as it pushes to transform itself into an AI-based financial platform.

Edaily reported on Aug. 8 that Chief Executive Officer Yoon Ho-young presented wealth management and artificial intelligence as the bank’s core strategies at the 2026 Press Talk event in Seoul’s Yeouido, formally declaring a shift to an AI-native bank.

The bank plans to offer an AI-optimized financial assistant and expand into global markets. It aims to evolve from a tool customers search for into a financial assistant that makes recommendations first.

KakaoBank plans to combine data from about 27 million customers with a finance-focused large language model, or LLM, to deliver hyper-personalized services. It plans to launch Payment Home in the third quarter to provide tailored financial guidance based on payment data. In the second quarter, it will introduce an Investment Tab featuring investment product comparisons and recommendations.

The bank also outlined a strategy to expand beyond remittance-focused services into wealth management and payments. Backed by a deposit base of 70 trillion won, it plans to broaden its lineup with new products including debit and credit cards and push into the retirement pension market.

KakaoBank is also stepping up its overseas business. After Indonesia and Thailand, it has selected Mongolia as its next market and plans to provide local financial institutions with its credit-scoring model.

It also plans to act as a global connector leading the issuance and distribution of won-based stablecoins while expanding financial services for foreign customers.

KakaoBank set a target of reaching 100 trillion won in assets and a return on equity of 15% by 2027.