HANA Network (HANA) Surge

One of South Korea's largest financial groups, Hana Financial, has partnered with UK-based Standard Chartered to strengthen cooperation in global finance and crypto assets. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on March 15, aiming to develop stablecoins and digital assets as new growth drivers alongside their traditional banking operations. The agreement covers areas including stablecoins, deposit tokens, and tokenized financial instruments. Hana’s Chairman, Ham Young-joo, emphasized the importance of building a comprehensive ecosystem for won-denominated stablecoins, from issuance to circulation. Standard Chartered’s CEO, Bill Winters highlighted South Korea’s key role in Asian financial markets. This partnership reflects a broader trend among major Korean banks to develop regulated digital asset infrastructure—such as stablecoins and tokenized bonds—rather than focusing on retail crypto speculation. Both institutions have prior experience in the digital asset space, with Hana having established a crypto custody venture and Standard Chartered actively involved in tokenization projects and stablecoin initiatives in Asia.