BlockBeats report: On March 16, South Korea’s major financial group Hana Financial Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Standard Chartered Group to collaborate on digital asset businesses, including joint initiatives in digital finance such as stablecoins.
According to multiple Korean media reports, the two institutions plan to combine their global networks and financial technology capabilities to explore new growth opportunities between traditional and digital finance. Ham Young-joo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group, stated that the two parties will create new growth avenues through collaborative efforts in digital assets and future finance.
In recent years, both companies have accelerated their布局 in the digital assets sector. In 2023, Hana Bank partnered with the crypto custody provider BitGo to develop crypto asset custody services; in 2024, they jointly established BitGo Korea with SK Telecom, with Hana holding a 25% stake.
Financial results show that Hana Financial Group achieved a record net profit of over KRW 4 trillion (approximately USD 26.7 billion) in 2025. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered has launched spot trading services for Bitcoin and Ethereum for institutional clients in 2025 and offers digital asset custody services in Europe and Asia. Additionally, Standard Chartered is expected to be among the first institutions to receive a license for issuing stablecoins in Hong Kong.