Bloomingbit Newsroom

Artificial Intelligence (AI) verification protocol Lagrange announced on the 15th that it will hold its first offline event in Korea, 'Lagrange Night: The Future of AI'. The event will take place on the 21st at 6 PM at DreamPlus in Gangnam, Seoul, featuring early networking, keynote speeches, and reward raffles. Ismael Hision-Rezaizade, CEO of Lagrange, along with partners from Eigen Labs, IQ, Alterim AI, Kaito, TRN Labs, Presto Labs, Cug, Blockchain Valley, and Ewha Chain, will participate. Lagrange is a team composed of blockchain industry veterans and professors from Yale University in the United States, having raised over $17 million (approximately 23.8 billion won) from investors such as Founders Fund, 1kx, Maven11, Lattice Fund, and CMT Digital. Lagrange's key technology is Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning (zkML), providing a technical foundation with the philosophy that 'trustworthy AI begins with Zero-Knowledge (ZK), and a secure future begins with Lagrange'. Ismael Hision-Rezaizade, CEO of Lagrange, stated, "Korea is one of the most dynamic crypto markets in the world. With a strong tech-friendly culture, it will play a key role in the global crypto market in the future," and added, "AI technology is crucial for the advancement of decentralized systems and cryptography. We hope people recognize Lagrange as a user-centric brand they can trust." Hankyung.com Newsroom open@hankyung.com

Korbit Research Center, under the domestic virtual asset exchange Korbit, announced on the 15th that it has published a report titled 'Exchanges Are Many, Trust Is Rare'. The report focuses on corporate virtual asset financial infrastructure strategies. Specifically, it analyzes strategies and infrastructure that domestic exchanges and financial institutions need to attract corporate investment clients through cases of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the US, DBS Bank in Singapore, and global virtual asset exchange FTX. Korbit Research Center pointed out structural defects such as lack of internal control, failure to separate assets, and regulatory evasion as the causes of the collapse of SVB and FTX. On the other hand, DBS and US virtual asset exchange Coinbase have secured a growth foundation by faithfully implementing institutional regulations such as accounting transparency and asset custody systems, according to Korbit's analysis. Korbit stated, "Structural integrity, linkage with institutional frameworks, and the establishment of financial infrastructure between exchanges and banks are key implications for building corporate-targeted virtual asset infrastructure." Choi Yoon-young, head of Korbit Research Center, said, "This report will serve as a practical reference for the domestic virtual asset industry to expand its connection with institutional finance and prepare a foundation for corporate market acceptance."

Lagrange, an AI verification protocol, announced on the 13th that it has successfully completed the Turing Roulette Campaign Season 3. This season, which supported the Korean language for the first time, was won by a Korean participant. The Turing Roulette game, a user-participatory campaign by Lagrange, is a deduction game designed based on the 'Turing Machine' conceived by British mathematician Alan Turing. It involves determining whether the conversation partner is AI or human through a one-minute chat. Season 3, which ended on the 11th, recorded a total of 140,000 participants and 3.75 million games and proofs. From Season 3, a Korean language chatbot was added, leading to significant participation from Korean users. Participants contribute to the testnet through proofs in the game and can earn points that affect future coin airdrops. The Lagrange Asia-Pacific (APAC) representative explained, "Turing Roulette is not just a simple game but Lagrange's testnet, a new form of proof infrastructure not seen in other blockchain projects." Lagrange Labs is a team composed of blockchain industry veterans and professors from Yale University in the United States, providing a technical foundation with the philosophy that 'trustworthy AI starts with zero-knowledge proof (ZK), and a secure future begins with Lagrange.' Lagrange's key technology is Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning (zkML), which verifies that AI models can perform accurate computations without revealing input data. Lagrange's zkML technology, DeepProve, is characterized by a fast proof generation speed, operating 54 to 158 times faster than existing zkML. Hankyung.com Newsroom open@hankyung.com

Dunamu, which operates the virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange Upbit, announced on the 13th that it will launch a special promotion for pre-order customers of the Galaxy S25 Edge in collaboration with KT. This promotion targets new Upbit members who pre-order the Galaxy S25 Edge at KT offline stores and the official online mall KT.com. First, users who pre-order the Galaxy S25 Edge at KT and then newly register with Upbit can receive a Bitcoin (BTC) coupon worth 20,000 KRW. The promotion runs from the 14th to the 20th of this month during the pre-order period, and the Bitcoin coupon can be received via a link in the notification text sent after the pre-order is completed. Additionally, the first 1,000 customers who complete activation at KT.com after pre-ordering will receive an additional Bitcoin coupon worth 10,000 KRW, totaling up to 30,000 KRW in benefits. A Dunamu representative stated, "We planned this collaboration to provide a differentiated experience for customers interested in new technology and premium products," and added, "We hope to offer even more abundant benefits through this special promotion with the Galaxy S25 Edge."

Coinone, a domestic virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange, announced on the 13th that it will hold the 'Thursday Coin Festa' starting in May. Thursday Coin Festa is a regular customer event that selects a new item every Thursday and conducts a trading event to provide abundant benefits. The Thursday Coin Festa reveals the event item through a notice at 10 a.m. every Thursday and conducts a trading event for the virtual asset until Sunday of the same week. The event consists of a 'Participation Mission' and a 'Ranking Mission.' The Participation Mission requires trading the event item at least once during the period, and all participants are equally distributed a predetermined amount of virtual assets. The Ranking Mission targets the top 100 participants in terms of trading volume, providing additional benefits according to their rank. The real-time trading volume ranking can be checked through the Coinone ranking board. In addition, Coinone is conducting various regular events such as the 'First Trading Event' and 'Transfer Support Fund Event' to enhance customer benefits. A Coinone marketing representative stated, "We hope you will expand your virtual asset investment experience and gain abundant benefits by participating in the newly held trading event every week," adding, "We will continue to introduce various regular events to strengthen our image as the exchange with the most benefits."

The hybrid virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange Gravity (GRVT) announced on the 9th that it will host a large-scale trading competition called 'GRVT Trading Rush', which will run until the 5th of next month. The total prize pool for this competition amounts to up to 175,000 Tether (USDT) and 85 million Trader Points. Anyone who has completed identity verification (KYC) on GRVT can participate in the event. Rewards are distributed based on total trading volume during the competition period, with a total of 9 reward tiers and a 15-level graded reward system applied. The higher the trading volume, the higher the level of rewards one can receive, and as the total trading volume of the exchange increases, the reward pool also expands. Early participants are offered separate bonus rewards, and some participants will receive limited edition GRVT brand goods through a draw. Hong Yea, co-founder and CEO of GRVT, stated, "This competition is the largest event for individual investors since the mainnet launch at the end of last year," and added, "We are grateful for the continued support of the global community. We will continue to improve and innovate to provide more opportunities and features in the future." Details of the competition rules and reward structure can be found on the official GRVT website.

Bithumb announced on the 9th that its social contribution organization, Bithumb Nanum, held a sports day on the 3rd of this month at the Salvation Army Seoul Orphanage in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, ahead of Children's Day. The Seoul Orphanage was established in 1918 to protect children who have lost their parents. About 130 children from the orphanage and former residents, along with Bithumb employees, participated in the event. A barbecue lunch was provided, and snacks such as sundae and tteokbokki were prepared by Bithumb Nanum through a food truck. After the meal, experiential activities such as a photo booth followed by the sports day took place. A Bithumb Nanum representative stated, "This sports day was planned to create an opportunity for orphanage children and former residents to interact and expand their social relationships," adding, "We will continue to engage in practical social contribution activities by reaching out to places that need social attention."

Domestic virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange Coinone announced on the 2nd that it will hold an event during the May golden holiday period. Coinone's 'May Golden Holiday Event' is an event that equally distributes a total of 3000 Tether (USDT) to members who meet all participation conditions, and it will be held from the 2nd to the 7th. To receive the event benefits, you must register the event code and complete transactions of three items: Stacks (STX), Compound (COMP), and Orca (ORCA) during the period. The benefits are scheduled to be paid out on the 20th of this month. Coinone will also hold a 'May First Trade Event' from today until the 31st of this month. Anyone who has not traded on Coinone since November 29, 2022, can participate. Participation is completed by registering the event code and making at least one transaction regardless of the item. Coinone will provide 20,000 KRW worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to all event participants who meet the conditions. The participation benefits are scheduled to be paid out on the 13th of next month. To receive the event benefits, you must agree to and maintain the benefit notification reception. Detailed information about the event can be found on the Coinone website or application (app). A Coinone representative stated, "We have prepared various events where you can gain benefits through simple participation during the May golden holiday period," and added, "We hope you catch both the investment profit in virtual assets and the event participation benefits through active participation."

The Digital Asset Protection Foundation announced on the 30th that it awarded a plaque of appreciation to Dunamu, the operator of the virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange Upbit, on the 29th. This award ceremony was organized to express gratitude to Dunamu for supporting the foundation's purpose of enhancing trust in the virtual asset market and protecting user rights through donations. A foundation representative said, "We hope that this award ceremony will further spread awareness of public interest activities and social responsibility within the virtual asset market." Lee Haebung, head of the Upbit Investor Protection Center, said, "I am honored to receive such a meaningful award," and added, "I will continue to work hard to protect users' virtual assets." Kim Jaejin, chairman of the foundation, stated, "Enhancing trust in the virtual asset market and protecting user rights cannot be achieved by the efforts of a single entity," and added, "(The plaque of appreciation ceremony) is a token of gratitude for empathizing with the foundation's public interest purpose and a stepping stone for cooperation to realize the shared value of user rights protection." The foundation plans to continue its public interest projects related to virtual assets. It also plans to regularize the plaque of appreciation ceremony to express gratitude to donors.

Bithumb, a domestic digital asset custody company, announced on the 29th that it has formed a strategic partnership with Galaxy Digital, a global digital asset infrastructure company. Through this partnership, Bithumb and Galaxy Digital will jointly develop next-generation corporate solutions. Bithumb plans to provide infrastructure, including self-custody by Galaxy Digital's subsidiary GK8, to corporate clients such as banks, securities firms, and asset management companies looking to pursue digital asset businesses. A Bithumb representative said, "This partnership focuses on ▲prime services exclusively for corporate clients ▲support for digital asset exchange-traded fund (ETF) infrastructure and liquidity ▲research on stablecoin (virtual assets linked to fiat currency value) regulation and service model development." The two companies are also pushing for the joint development of a prime brokerage platform. The platform, targeting domestic corporations, will integrate custody, staking, lending, and risk management functions. Bithumb plans to lay the foundation for launching domestic digital asset ETFs by utilizing Galaxy Digital's custody infrastructure and global liquidity network. Additionally, Bithumb and Galaxy Digital will conduct joint research on the global stablecoin regulatory framework and develop corporate-exclusive service models to apply to the Korean market. Hongyeol Ryu, CEO of Bithumb, said, "This partnership goes beyond mere technical cooperation and embodies a shared vision and commitment to creating the next-generation financial ecosystem for Korea and the entire Asia," adding, "We will provide safe and scalable infrastructure through collaboration with Galaxy Digital."

Co-hosted by Hashed, Bloomingbit, and Hankyung Media Group Web3 leaders, companies, institutions, and policymakers gather to discuss the present and future of the industry Global Web3 venture capital firm Hashed, Bloomingbit, and Hankyung Media Group announced that they will co-host the 'EastPoint:Seoul 2025' event at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on September 22. EastPoint is a private Web3 conference aimed at establishing Korea as a hub for the digital asset industry and solidifying its position as a global hub where traditional finance meets digital assets. EastPoint is an invitation-only event, and this year, leading global blockchain and digital asset projects, large corporations, institutional investors, and global policymakers are expected to participate. The event will consist of four main sessions: ▲Roundtable ▲B2B Matchmaking ▲Knowledge Sharing ▲Social Gathering. The core 'Roundtable' session is a closed discussion session where invited participants can exchange opinions directly. 'B2B Matchmaking' is a program designed to enhance practical collaboration opportunities through one-on-one meetings based on the business needs and interests of the participants. In the 'Knowledge Sharing' session, key agendas of the Web3 industry will be discussed, including ▲digital asset infrastructure ▲Security Token Offerings (STO) and Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization ▲the convergence of AI and digital assets ▲stablecoins ▲digital asset policy trends ▲Compliant DeFi. The 'Social Gathering' includes ▲Gala Dinner ▲Brunch Banquet ▲Happy Hour, providing a private yet open communication space. Seojoon Kim, CEO of Hashed, stated, "EastPoint will be a platform where policymakers and market leaders in the global market can jointly design the intersection of regulation and technology," and expressed his desire to contribute to the emergence of practical dialogues and partnerships that will position Korea as a strategic gateway to the institutional digital asset market. Sanha Kim, CEO of Hankyung Bloomingbit, said, "Through this EastPoint, we aim to provide a decisive opportunity for Korea to leap forward as a global hub for the digital asset industry," and pledged to contribute to solidifying Korea's status as a strategic point where market, policy, and technology intersect.

Theo, a virtual asset (cryptocurrency) trading infrastructure network, announced on the 24th that it has raised $20 million (approximately 28.7 billion KRW) in funding. This funding round was co-led by Hack VC and Answers Capital, with participation from several venture capitals including Mirana Ventures, Metalayer Ventures, and angel investors from traditional financial sectors such as Citadel, Jane Street, and JP Morgan. Theo is a platform co-founded by three quant experts: Abhi Pingle, Arijit Pingle, and TK Kwon. It was established to address the limitations of on-chain capital not being able to access the traditional financial market. Theo supports advanced trading strategies used by professional trading firms, such as cross-chain arbitrage, high-frequency trading, and hedging, for individual investors. Theo's customized validator set, a system that processes transactions securely and quickly, can be used across the entire virtual asset financial channel, including centralized exchanges (CEX) and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Abhi Pingle, co-founder of Theo, stated, "The current virtual asset market is fragmented and inefficient, preventing institutions and general users from enjoying the possibilities of global finance," adding, "Theo will help maximize capital efficiency by serving as infrastructure that connects traditional finance with on-chain participants."

The intellectual property (IP)-based blockchain Story Foundation announced on the 22nd that it will collaborate with Makeus to launch innovative AI-based fan-engaged content creation. Story is a blockchain platform that supports the tokenization of knowledge in the form of IP in the AI era, allowing it to be protected, shared, and monetized. Makeus operates about 50 YouTube and social media channels and is the largest digital content studio in Korea with a total of 44.7 million subscribers. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to integrate Makeus's popular IP 'Dingo Friends' into the Story blockchain ecosystem. Through this, they aim to build a new content creation system where fans can directly participate and verify revenue generation models using AI technology. Specifically, the two companies plan to develop a new production workflow combining Story's blockchain infrastructure and AI technology, and secure new growth engines for the Dingo Friends IP through innovation in content creation and distribution methods and the creation of a fan community-centered participatory digital ecosystem. Andrea Muttoni, Chairman of the Story Foundation, said, "On-chaining influential IPs like Dingo Friends will be an important step in lowering the barriers to content creation and monetization in the AI era," adding, "Through this agreement, we will strive to innovate a creative and immersive content creation environment where not only creators but also the general public can participate."

Bithumb is set to reattempt the previously postponed spin-off. The plan is to enhance the competitiveness of the exchange business while pushing new businesses with agility and independence for faster execution. The domestic virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange Bithumb announced on the 21st that it has filed a securities report for the spin-off and plans to establish a new corporation with the spin-off date set for July 31. Bithumb's spin-off was postponed once last year but is being reattempted to enhance focus and growth strategies for each business. With this spin-off, the surviving corporation Bithumb will focus on strengthening competitiveness in existing core businesses such as exchange operations, while the new corporation will actively pursue new business ventures and investments to diversify revenue. The shares of investment-related companies held by Bithumb will be transferred to the newly established corporation, and some shares of investment affiliates will be transferred after meeting the tax-qualified spin-off requirements. The shares of companies related to the exchange business will remain with the surviving company Bithumb. The spin-off ratio between the surviving corporation Bithumb and the new corporation is approximately 56:44, with the spin-off date set for July 31. As it is a spin-off, shareholders will receive new shares of the new corporation in proportion to their holdings. The final decision on this spin-off will be confirmed at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on June 13. A Bithumb representative stated, "We will strive to become a more trusted virtual asset exchange by pursuing the spin-off more stably than last year, while continuously investing in the IT sector and ensuring user protection and stability," adding, "By having the exchange and new business each possess independence and expertise, the company will drive both quantitative and qualitative growth."

Coinone, a domestic virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange, announced on the 22nd that it will provide virtual asset price information to KakaoBank app, its real-name account partner. The virtual asset price information provided by Coinone can be found in the newly established 'Virtual Asset Price Inquiry' tab in the KakaoBank app's overview menu. The tab's top area provides indicators that help grasp the overall market situation, such as ▲Bitcoin (BTC) dominance ▲Korean Bitcoin premium ▲total market capitalization of virtual assets ▲Fear & Greed Index. In the 'Real-time Item Ranking' section, you can check the real-time prices and fluctuations of virtual assets supported by Coinone. Real-time rankings for five categories—trading volume, market capitalization, rise rate, fall rate, and new trading support—are displayed, and by selecting a desired item, you can check detailed price information and liquidity information, including periodic price change graphs. Additionally, general information that can be referenced for investment, such as virtual asset whitepapers, websites, key information summaries, and virtual asset brochures, is also provided. In the 'Real-time Profit and Loss Certification' section, you can check the TOP3 profit and loss certification posts posted within the Coinone community over the past 7 days. It also provides posts with high views within the Coinone community. Meanwhile, Coinone is also holding an event to commemorate the opening of the KakaoBank virtual asset price inquiry until May 6. During the event period, the first 10,000 customers who access Coinone through the KakaoBank virtual asset price inquiry page and complete event code registration and account linkage will receive Bitcoin worth 3,000 KRW. Coinone's co-CEO Lee Sung-hyun stated, "We have introduced a linked service with KakaoBank aiming for a more convenient user experience and diversification of new customer inflow channels," and added, "We will continue to maximize synergy between the two companies through various collaborations with KakaoBank, our real-name account partner."

Global virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange Binance has confirmed that the most common types of virtual asset-related crimes handled by major domestic law enforcement officials are 'investment fraud' and 'voice phishing'. Binance announced on the 10th that this result was derived from a survey conducted on 224 major law enforcement officials, including the Police Investigation Research Institute and the National Police Agency, to strengthen domestic virtual asset crime investigation capabilities and explore cooperation measures. First, in response to the question 'What is the most common type of virtual asset-related crime encountered in your jurisdiction?', 40.6% of all respondents cited 'investment fraud', and 23.6% cited 'voice phishing'. This was followed by 'hacking' (14.2%), 'romance scam' (6.6%), and 'drugs' (6.6%). Additionally, in response to the question 'What is the key information for virtual asset crime investigations?', 168 out of 224 respondents (75%) answered 'exchange's KYC information'. Other key elements for solving virtual asset crimes included 'blockchain transaction history' (59%), 'account and financial transaction information' (57%), and 'IP access records' (52%). Finally, in the item asking 'What is the biggest difficulty faced in related crime investigations?', the most common response was 'lack of knowledge and expertise' (58%, 130 people), followed by 'difficulty in tracking anonymous transactions' (25.8%) and 'lack of investigative tools and resources' (9.3%). Jarek Jakubcek, Binance's Head of Law Enforcement Training, stated, "Virtual assets are being misused in financial crimes targeting ordinary citizens, not just large-scale corporate crimes," and added, "We will spare no effort in providing technical support to assist law enforcement officials in their investigative processes."

Wavebridge, a virtual asset (cryptocurrency) prime brokerage service company, announced on the 9th that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Hong Kong's Victory Securities for cooperation in the virtual asset business. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) focusing on the development of virtual asset structured products and business cooperation in the Korean and Hong Kong markets. Under this agreement, Wavebridge will be responsible for consulting and research for the launch of virtual asset structured products in the Hong Kong financial market by Victory Securities. Wavebridge, which completed the registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Korea in 2024, plans to use this as a foundation to expand its business in accordance with regulations in each country. Recently, Wavebridge launched the virtual asset investment platform 'Dolfin' based on its technology to serve as a Prime Broker in preparation for the phased entry of domestic corporations and institutions into the virtual asset market. Victory Securities, a traditional financial company with a Hong Kong securities and futures operation license, is expanding its business scope to include virtual asset trading, structured products, advisory, and portfolio management services in addition to its existing financial services. Oh Jong-wook, CEO of Wavebridge, stated, "This partnership will be an important milestone in Wavebridge's global expansion strategy," adding, "We will contribute to the development of the domestic market based on the know-how gained from experiences in the digital asset financial markets of the U.S., Europe, and now Hong Kong."

Bithumb, a domestic virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange, announced on the 8th that it will hold a partnership event with Lotte GRS's dining integration platform, Lotte Eatz, offering up to 10 million won worth of Bitcoin and various benefits. The 'Eat.P.Ta. Double Reward Event' by Bithumb and Lotte Eatz will be held for three weeks from April 7 to 27 at Lotteria, Angel-in-us, and Krispy Kreme Doughnut stores. Participants can join by registering the scratch coupon provided upon purchasing products at these stores in the Lotte Eatz app and the Bithumb app. There are two main benefits for participants. The first benefit is that if you register the 'No-Loss Scratch Coupon' code in both the Bithumb and Lotte Eatz apps, you will be entered into a draw to win Bitcoin worth at least 1,000 won and up to 10 million won. The second benefit is the abundant rewards provided by each app. If you register the scratch coupon in the Lotte Eatz app, you will earn 500 Eatz miles, and if you register it in the Bithumb app, you will receive 3,000 won worth of Korean won to trade virtual assets. To participate in this event, you need to sign up for Bithumb membership, complete customer verification (KYC), and connect your account. Coupon code registration is limited to once per ID on Bithumb and once per day per ID on the Lotte Eatz app. Moon Sun-il, head of Bithumb's service division, stated, "We planned this event to allow people to experience virtual assets more closely and positively through collaboration with familiar brands in daily life such as Lotteria, Angel-in-us, and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. We will continue to strive to present differentiated benefits and collaborations that naturally blend into customers' daily lives."