ExclusiveCircle invites senior executives from Korean banks, crypto exchanges for closed-door event on July 23
People line up to enter a Circle event in Seoul, April 13. Screenshot from Circle's LinkedIn
Circle is stepping up its push into Korea with an invitation-only gathering in Seoul, industry officials said Monday, as the issuer of the USDC stablecoin seeks closer ties with banks, crypto exchanges and payments companies.
The event, called Current Seoul, will be held July 23 at Josun Palace. It follows CEO Jeremy Allaire's visit to Korea about three months ago, when he met with local financial companies to explore potential partnerships.
Held under the theme "Korea at a Crypto Inflection," the gathering is expected to draw senior executives from crypto exchanges, banks, payments companies and super-app operators. Discussions will focus on regulation, industry cooperation and the development of longer-term partnerships, according to the event's registration website.
Circle speakers include Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy and operations; David Allan Katz, vice president of strategy and policy for Asia-Pacific; Ben Morris, vice president of business development; and Yam Ki Chan, head of Asia-Pacific. Kakao Pay CEO Shin Won-keun and Park Jong-baek, a partner at law firm Bae, Kim & Lee, are among the Korean speakers.
The Seoul event extends Circle's outreach to Korea's financial sector. During an April 13 visit, Allaire met with officials from KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank and Hana Bank, as well as crypto exchanges Upbit and Bithumb and several payments companies.
Allaire described Korea at the time as a "highly attractive" market, citing its advanced technology, active participation in digital assets and strong rule of law. He also said Circle was open to working with Korean companies on cross-border payments through the Circle Payments Network.
Circle's push into Korea is part of a broader effort to embed USDC more deeply in traditional financial infrastructure and position the stablecoin as a regulated bridge between banking and digital assets. On Friday, Circle received U.S. approval to launch a crypto-focused bank that will operate under the name Circle National Trust.
In early July, Standard Chartered and Circle introduced an integrated service allowing eligible institutional clients to mint and redeem USDC. BNY also expanded its relationship with Circle by adding USDC as the first stablecoin supported on its digital-asset custody platform, with minting and redemption capabilities.
Those partnerships come as competition in the dollar-backed stablecoin market intensifies. Circle shares fell 17 percent on June 30 after the announcement of Open USD, a rival model that allows participating companies to share income generated from reserves.
The structure contrasts with USDC's model, under which Circle maintains greater control over revenue and partnership terms, underscoring the growing contest to establish the leading standard for dollar-based stablecoins.