Samsung SDS is in talks with Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Upbit, on stablecoins and AI-powered digital asset services. Speaking during the company’s second-quarter earnings call on July 30, Chief Executive Officer Lee Jun-hee said the discussions are part of Samsung SDS’s effort to expand its digital asset infrastructure business. He said the company’s recent investment in Dunamu was intended to support future business opportunities rather than serve as a financial investment.
Samsung SDS acquired a 4% stake in Dunamu in May alongside Samsung Securities and Samsung Card. According to Lee, the companies are considering cooperation in stablecoin infrastructure, AI-based payment systems and virtual asset integration with financial services.
Samsung SDS said its investment in Dunamu was made with several long-term business opportunities in mind. Beyond stablecoins, the company is evaluating digital payment systems, financial infrastructure built around virtual assets and AI-powered financial services. Discussions between the two companies are expected to continue as they identify projects that can be developed commercially.
Samsung SDS is building stablecoin infrastructure, crypto-based financial SI, and AI-driven payments with Dunamu, its first concrete detail on what the May equity stake actually means.
CEO Lee Jun-hee said on today’s Q2 earnings call that the Dunamu investment “is not a simple… pic.twitter.com/J3AbQjBqW5
— Tony Chung (@jayc_BM) July 30, 2026
Businesses are yet to adopt stablecoins for use
Stablecoins have grown into a market worth hundreds of billions of dollars, yet most businesses still cannot accept them as easily as credit cards or bank transfers. The problem is the number of systems needed behind every payment. A company accepting stablecoins may still need separate providers for wallet management, blockchain bridges, token swaps, compliance checks, and settlement before the money reaches its final destination.
This has slowed business adoption even as stablecoin usage continues to rise. Major payment companies including Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe have all introduced stablecoin products over the past two years, but most are focused on simplifying the payment process rather than creating new stablecoins.
That demand is shown in on-chain activity, with data from DeFiLlama showing stablecoins processed more than $1 trillion in transaction volume in a single month, underscoring their growing role in digital payments and blockchain-based financial services across multiple networks.
Why Samsung picked Dunamu instead of building its own stablecoin network
Samsung already has cloud, AI, cybersecurity and enterprise software businesses, but it does not operate a cryptocurrency platform. Dunamu, through Upbit, already has experience handling digital asset trading, blockchain infrastructure and compliance in South Korea. Working together allows each company to focus on what it already does well instead of building every piece from scratch.
The partnership also comes as South Korean companies prepare for possible stablecoin rules. Rather than waiting until regulations are finalized, Samsung SDS is putting itself in a position where the technology, banking connections and blockchain infrastructure are already in place. If stablecoin issuance becomes easier under future legislation, the company would already have a partner with an established digital asset business.
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