seoul

AI native infrastructure and programmable IP blockchain Story announced the launch of the Confidential Data Rails (CDR) testnet, a universal secure data transmission architecture designed to enable the secure flow and compliant use of sensitive data in AI and general scenarios, under the premise that data is always encrypted and does not leave the domain.CDR supports end-to-end encryption, preset access permissions, and provides secure sharing capabilities for API keys and integration credentials. In addition, Story, as the infrastructure provider for the Seoul Exchange over the next two years, will provide ongoing technical and ecological support for the Korean RWA market.

K1 Research, a consulting firm for market expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, will collaborate with strategic market makers and Web3 startup incubator Klein Labs to jointly host "2026 Seoul Signal: Insights into the Next Wave of Web3" on January 22 at People the Terrace in Seoul.This event is based on K1 Research's global research and industry network in cities such as Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai, combined with Klein Labs' practical experience in liquidity design and market structure, aiming to provide forward-looking strategic references for the development of the Web3 industry in 2026. The forum will gather Builders, Creators, and Traders for in-depth discussions on survival strategies and long-term growth paths for the next cycle.The conference is supported by three heavyweight gold sponsors:BGB ------ The official platform token of Bitget exchange, serving as a core asset in the Bitget ecosystem, primarily used to connect trading, community, and platform rights.LeverUp ------ A perpetual contract DEX based on Monad, offering up to 1001x leverage and a fee-sharing mechanism;AetheriumX ------ A Web3 ecosystem integrating staking, gaming, and creator markets.Additionally, partners such as Gaea Ventures, PlaysOut, and KapKap will also participate to promote synergy within the Web3 ecosystem.The organizers stated: "'2026 Seoul Signal' aims to provide clear directional judgment for core participants in Web3. By combining frontline market execution experience with systematic research, we look forward to further promoting Seoul as an important hub for global Web3 innovation." After the event, K1 Research and Klein Labs will continue to deepen their cooperation, accelerating the discovery and implementation of high-quality global projects and providing long-term support for ecosystem development.Pre-registration for the event is now open, and interested participants are welcome to apply through the link below.Date: January 22, 2026 (18:30 – 23:00, Korean time)Location: 13 Dosan-daero 81-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, People the Terrace (Cheongdam-dong)( Address Detail)Registration: Link

According to News1, the virtual asset fraud case involving Lee Hee-jin, known as the "Genius of Cheongdam-dong," has been transferred from the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul to the Financial Crime Investigation Team of the Seoul Police Agency.Lee Hee-jin was previously sued by his partner, the representative of Pica Coin's issuing company, who accused Lee of failing to pay approximately 1.88 billion won in settlement funds as agreed. The partner later filed an additional lawsuit claiming the damages have reached 28 billion won (about 19.27 million USD). The two had signed a contract in 2020 to jointly develop a token for fractional investment in artworks, but Lee is accused of not adhering to the agreed profit-sharing ratio.Previously, Lee Hee-jin faced another trial for allegedly defrauding 90 billion won (about 61.95 million USD) through false advertising and market manipulation of three tokens, including Pica Coin. He was arrested in October 2023 and later granted bail in March 2024.

Self-hosted new banking and payment infrastructure Tria has announced that the "Tria Premium Cardholder Party" will be held in Seoul on January 14, 2026. This is the first offline exclusive event for Premium cardholders hosted by Tria in 2026, aimed at strengthening community connections and giving back to core users.It is reported that this event will prioritize invitations to the top 200 Premium users based on card usage at the time of Luma application. If there are remaining spots, additional reviews will be conducted based on the priority of Signature cards, virtual cards, and non-cardholders. The event agenda includes project introductions, live Q&A, and social segments, where participants can earn token rewards and brand merchandise through on-site tasks and interactions.

The UK power stablecoin KWTUK, in collaboration with RWA Chai.io, will hold its first offline event "RWA x The Future Finance of Stablecoins" in Seoul on December 13, marking the official launch of KWTUK's entry into the South Korean market. The event will feature the release of an NFT whitelist for the presale of KWTUK tokens, and will invite well-known Korean projects, top KOLs, and the Web3 community to participate, including project ecosystem introductions, industry exchange sessions, and offering the UK power stablecoin NFT whitelist along with RWA Chai.io token discount presales.KWTUK's "three-phase token economic structure" is entirely based on local UK electricity prices: the genesis issuance phase allows participants to mint tokens at a discount below the actual electricity price; the market liquidity phase transitions to free pricing based on market fluctuations in electricity prices; the subsequent mechanism dynamically adjusts through minting and burning, keeping the token price within the range of UK electricity prices, striving to maintain long-term synchronization with the real energy value.Official training materials indicate that this tokenization framework, centered on electricity value, has built a solid value moat for the project, enabling it to maintain stable operations amid fluctuations in energy prices.RootData will participate as a partner in this event and jointly promote the content construction and community interaction for the RWA x stablecoin scenario.

The venture capital firm a16z crypto announced that it will open an office in Seoul.a16z crypto Chief Operating Officer Anthony Albanese stated in an email statement that Asia "now accounts for a significant share of global cryptocurrency activity." He further revealed, "In the coming years, we plan to expand our business presence in Asia, adding new capabilities to support cryptocurrency companies operating in the region, and continuously exploring new ways to broaden our geographical coverage."

StarGlow will hold its first offline event "THE FIRST GLOW MEET-UP" in Seoul on November 21, marking the official launch of its GLOW AUDITION. The event will invite K-POP artists, fans, and the Web3 community to participate, including individual artist interviews, project ecosystem introductions, industry交流 sessions, and will provide a total of over $15,000 in airdrop rewards and multiple on-site lottery benefits.RootData will participate as a partner in this event and will work with StarGlow to promote content development and community interaction in the K-POP × Web3 scene.

According to South Korean media reports, a 78-year-old individual investor, Kim Geo-seok, recently donated 1 Bitcoin (approximately 157 million Korean won) to Seoul National University College of Medicine, marking the first time the hospital has received a donation in the form of digital assets.Mr. Kim is an investor highly focused on future technology investment areas such as digital assets, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing. In August of this year, he donated 1 Bitcoin each to the Korean Red Cross and the Seoul City Social Welfare Joint Fundraising Association. Notably, the donation to the Red Cross is also the first case of a large personal digital asset donation since the Financial Services Commission of Korea allowed non-profit organizations to cash out cryptocurrency donations in February of this year.It is reported that Mr. Kim had previously donated 800 million won to the hospital development fund and 100 million won to the low-income patient assistance fund at Seoul National University Hospital. With this Bitcoin donation, his total donations have exceeded 1 billion won.Seoul National University Hospital stated that it will take this opportunity to improve internal processes to stabilize the acceptance of digital asset donations and plans to widely use the related donations in areas such as education, research, medical care, and public health.

ChainCatcher news, RootData in collaboration with Tiger Research will hold the "Insights For Web3 Future" industry summit in Seoul on September 24, which has been officially included in the recommended peripheral activities collection for Korea Blockchain Week KBW 2025.It is reported that as one of the important peripheral activities of KBW 2025, this summit has attracted participation from many well-known projects including XION, Taiko, Camp Network, Google Cloud, Berachain, Duckchain, Kite AI, SOON, B²Network, SkyDAO, AI Liquid, BaidaoData, Nubila, K1 Lbas, and others. Top KOLs in Korea, core community representatives, and important industry institutions will also be present to discuss cutting-edge trends in Web3 and new opportunities for ecological cooperation.Event link: https://luma.com/5bwehb4r

ChainCatcher news, Creditlink's Asia Market Director Tony confirmed his attendance at the "Insights For Web3 Future" industry summit to be held on September 24 in Seoul, where he will deliver a speech titled "Building On-Chain Credit for the Next Billion Web3 Users." Creditlink aims to create an AI-driven on-chain credit verification and scoring system to promote the transition of Web3 financial services towards unsecured and inclusive solutions.Event link: https://luma.com/5bwehb4r

ChainCatcher news, XION founder Anthony Anzalone has confirmed his attendance at the "Insights For Web3 Future" industry summit to be held in Seoul on September 24. Anthony Anzalone will participate in a roundtable discussion titled "The Future of Public Chains: Opportunities and Challenges in the Multi-Chain Era," alongside Chi Zhang, co-founder of KITE AI, Jake, CEO of Nero, Ella Qiang, head of the Asia-Pacific region for Berachain, Raymond Chen, director of ecosystem growth at NEO, and Qi Zhou, founder of QuarkChain, to discuss the future development trends of public chains.As one of the key peripheral events of KBW 2025, this summit has attracted participation from several well-known projects including XION, Taiko, Camp Network, Google Cloud, Berachain, Duckchain, Kite AI, SOON, B²Network, SkyDAO, AI Liquid, BaidaoData, Nubila, and K1 Lbas. Top KOLs from Korea, core community representatives, and important industry institutions will also be present to discuss cutting-edge trends in Web3 and new opportunities for ecological cooperation.

ChainCatcher news, hosted by Korean media blockstreet, Jinse Caijing, and the payment track project PAN, the Elrow Seoul After Party will be held on Thursday, September 25, 2025 (22:00 - 5:00 GMT+9) at 31 Dosan-daero 49-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea.This event brings together local institutions, project parties, communities, and KOLs in Korea, and features a special performance by star DJ MORTEN.

ChainCatcher message, hosted by RootData and Korea's top investment research institution Tiger Research, the "Insights For Web3 Future" industry summit co-hosted by ChainCatcher, LBANK, and Creditlink will be held on September 24 (Tuesday) from 14:00 to 19:00 (UTC+9) at ACM in Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea. This summit aims to build a high-quality communication platform for builders, investors, and innovators in the global Web3 field.As one of the important peripheral activities of KBW 2025, this summit has attracted participation from many well-known projects including XION, Taiko, Camp Network, Google Cloud, Berachain, Duckchain, Kite AI, SOON, B²Network, SkyDAO, AI Liquid, BaidaoData, Nubila, K1 Lbas, and more. Top KOLs in Korea, core community representatives, and important industry institutions will also be present to discuss cutting-edge trends in Web3 and new opportunities for ecological cooperation.

ChainCatcher news, according to official news from Chainalysis, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has dismantled an international hacker group after two years of investigation, identifying 258 victims including corporate executives and high-net-worth individuals, with involved funds amounting to approximately 39 billion won (≈30 million USD). The police tracked on-chain fund flows and collaborated across borders using Chainalysis Reactor, capturing the main suspect in Thailand and extraditing him back to Korea 106 days later, having recovered about 14 billion won. The group is accused of invading and transferring funds through methods such as illegally activating mobile accounts and impersonating institutional personnel.

ChainCatcher message, the "Insights For Web3 Future" industry summit co-hosted by RootData and Korea's top investment research institution Tiger Research, will be held on September 24 (Tuesday) from 14:00 to 19:00 (UTC +9) at ACM in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea. This summit aims to build a high-quality communication platform for builders, investors, and innovators in the global Web3 field.As one of the important peripheral activities of KBW 2025, this summit has received sponsorship from several well-known local projects in Korea and is co-organized by Tiger Research and Korea's leading marketing team K1. Top KOLs, core community representatives, and important industry institutions from Korea will also be present to discuss cutting-edge trends in Web3 and new opportunities for ecological cooperation.

ChainCatcher news, according to Protos, a 60-year-old cryptocurrency fugitive was arrested in Seoul on August 22, 2025, for allegedly defrauding $13 million in cryptocurrency. The man was stopped by the police for throwing away a cigarette and attempted to evade further questioning by bribing them.The police intercepted the man in the Gwanak District of Seoul, where he pleaded with officers to let him go while trying to hail a taxi. He refused to hand over his ID and attempted to flee, ultimately being apprehended. Investigations revealed that he was involved in a cryptocurrency scam amounting to 17.7 billion won (approximately $12.6 million) between 2018 and 2019, affecting around 1,300 victims.Currently, the man faces 10 charges including assault and fraud, and has been on the run since 2020; he is now detained by the Southern District Prosecutors' Office in Seoul.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptonews, the Gangnam District of Seoul is strengthening tax enforcement actions against cryptocurrency holders. Since the end of last year, the district has recovered approximately 340 million won (about 245,000 USD) in unpaid taxes through the seizure of cryptocurrencies. Gangnam District has collaborated with five major cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea to seize cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in order to recover unpaid taxes. District officials stated that many residents hold significant virtual assets, and after seizing these assets, the voluntary payment rate of unpaid taxes has significantly increased.

ChainCatcher message, Camp Network will hold its first offline gathering in Korea, "Rave in the Gallery," on July 26, 2025 (Saturday) from 17:30 to 23:30 at Whipple Gallery in Yongsan, Seoul. This event aims to support the expansion of the Camp community in Korea, featuring a performance by DJ Luna, as well as a limited WL airdrop provided by Whipple Gallery.The event will also give away 10 Camp Labubu figurines, each accompanied by an allowlist spot for the Camp PFP series TrailHeads Phase 2.

ChainCatcher news, the SOON market director will attend the offline event themed "Seoul Meta Night" co-hosted by RootData and Memecore on June 26 from 19:00 to 22:00 (GMT+9) in Seoul, South Korea.It is reported that SOON is a rollup stack designed to provide top performance for all Layer 1 blockchains. The vision of SOON is to achieve a Super Application Stack (SAS) and create an ultimate on-chain live trading experience.