B2C2, an institutional digital asset liquidity provider majority-owned by Japanese financial group SBI Holdings, has partnered with NextBlock, a South Korean digital asset infrastructure firm, to expand access to global liquidity in one of Asia’s most active cryptocurrency markets. The collaboration, announced September 10, 2026, leverages NextBlock’s proprietary smart routing engine to connect institutional clients with B2C2’s global liquidity offerings.
- Market Share: Korean won-denominated trades represented 30% of global spot cryptocurrency volumes in H1 2026
- Weekly Trading Volume: South Korea’s 52 million people generated $26 billion in weekly trading volume
- Expected Participants: Over 3,500 domestic corporations expected to allocate capital following regulatory changes
- SBI Investment: Financial conglomerate invested over $1.5 billion in digital assets this year alone
South Korea’s regulatory environment has shifted dramatically following late 2024 discussions by the country’s Virtual Asset Committee under the Financial Services Commission. The FSC has begun phased allowances of corporate real-name virtual asset accounts, lifting restrictions in place since 2018. This opening enables corporate allocations that retail-focused order books cannot efficiently process without significant friction costs.
South Korea is entering a historic financial shift. For nine years, institutional capital has lacked purpose-built infrastructure, as retail order books are not designed to process multi-million-dollar corporate allocations without severe friction.
Kane Yang, Chairman at Kane Company Inc and operator of NextBlock, highlighted the infrastructure gap. David Rogers, APAC CEO at B2C2, characterized the partnership as strategically positioned to capture emerging institutional demand as the market transitions from retail to professional participation. The deal represents B2C2’s continued expansion across Asia-Pacific, where SBI is simultaneously deepening its retail and payments presence.
David Rogers, APAC CEO at B2C2. Source: LinkedIn
