KBW 2026 Taps Upbit, Cementing Korea's Institutional Crypto Ambitions

SEOUL, South Korea – January 13, 2026 – Korea Blockchain Week (KBW), Asia's most influential digital asset conference, is set to return to Seoul from September 29 to October 1, 2026, for what organizers are calling its "most ambitious edition to date." In a move that signals a significant deepening of institutional interest in the region, the event's host, FactBlock, announced that Upbit, South Korea's dominant digital asset exchange, will join as the Main Sponsor.

This strategic partnership elevates the conference's stature and aligns with a broader national pivot towards embracing digital assets within the mainstream financial framework. The event, held at the Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts, aims to serve as a critical bridge between Korea's burgeoning institutional market and the global digital asset ecosystem, focusing on themes of institutional finance, AI integration, and real-world adoption.

A Partnership Signaling Market Maturation

The selection of Upbit as the main sponsor is a powerful statement. The exchange is not merely a participant but a titan of the South Korean crypto market, consistently commanding over 70% of the country's total trading volume and boasting a user base exceeding 13 million. Its financial performance has been formidable, with reported revenues of KRW 1.73 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 1.19 trillion in 2024, underscoring its deep market penetration and stability.

This partnership lends significant weight to KBW's mission to foster institutional dialogue. The event will kick off on September 29 with an exclusive, private institutional forum co-hosted with Upbit. This invitation-only gathering is designed specifically for policymakers, financial institutions, and senior industry leaders, creating a high-stakes environment for pivotal conversations that could shape the future of finance in the region.

Upbit's prominent role comes at a time of intense regulatory evolution in South Korea. The exchange has navigated a stringent regulatory landscape, including recent scrutiny from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) over KYC/AML procedures and a security incident in late 2025. Its emergence as the face of KBW 2026, despite these challenges, highlights a forward-looking commitment from both the exchange and event organizers to build a compliant and robust institutional-grade market. The collaboration is seen as a move to strengthen integrity and foster trust as the industry matures beyond its speculative roots.

Riding a Wave of National Policy

KBW 2026 is timed to coincide with a landmark shift in South Korea's economic policy. The conference will take place as the country prepares to lift a nine-year ban on corporate investment in cryptocurrencies. New government guidelines, expected to be finalized early in 2026, will permit listed companies and professional investors to allocate up to 5% of their equity capital into a curated list of top-tier digital assets.

This policy, part of the nation's "2026 Economic Growth Strategy," is designed to attract substantial domestic and foreign capital, modernize capital markets, and bolster local blockchain startups. The government's concurrent plans to introduce spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) for digital assets and establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for stablecoins within 2026 further underscore its ambition to become a regulated, crypto-friendly global hub.

KBW's agenda directly reflects this national strategy. The focus on "high-impact discussions across digital assets, institutional finance, AI integration, and real-world adoption" positions the conference as the premier venue for stakeholders to navigate this new landscape. By bringing global innovators, builders, and enterprise leaders together with Korean policymakers and institutional players, KBW 2026 aims to facilitate the cross-border collaboration necessary to realize these ambitions.

Expanding Horizons and Global Competition

Since its inception in 2018, KBW has grown exponentially, evolving from a niche gathering of 4,000 to a sprawling Web3 festival that attracted over 30,000 attendees to its main events in 2023 and saw a 70% increase in core participation in 2024. This trajectory places it firmly in the top tier of global blockchain conferences, alongside mainstays like Consensus in North America and TOKEN2049 in Dubai and Singapore.

What sets KBW apart is its deep integration with the uniquely dynamic Korean market and its expanding thematic focus. The 2026 edition will feature expanded tracks on the convergence of AI and blockchain—a trend gaining massive traction for its potential to enhance data security and create intelligent, automated systems. Discussions on real-world asset (RWA) tokenization will also be prominent, reflecting a global trend where major financial institutions like BlackRock and J.P. Morgan are exploring the digitization of illiquid assets.

The conference's continued ability to attract high-profile speakers, which in the past have included Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and officials from the White House and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), further cements its global relevance. As FactBlock continues its mission to reduce information asymmetry and connect global projects with the Korean market, the partnership with Upbit provides the institutional firepower needed to take that mission to the next level.

With detailed speaker lineups and ticket information to be released in the coming months, the global digital asset community is watching closely. The confluence of a powerful local sponsor, a progressive national policy shift, and a forward-looking global agenda suggests that KBW 2026 is poised to be a defining moment for South Korea's ascent as a leader in the next chapter of digital innovation.