KRWQ
KRWQ is a fully fiat backed stablecoin designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the South Korean Won (KRW). Launched on October 30, 2025 by IQ using Frax Finance infrastructure, it is the first Korean won-pegged tradeable stablecoin on the Base network and the first to utilize LayerZero's Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) standard for native cross-chain functionality. [31] KRWQ is privately issued, is not a central bank digital currency and was not initially marketed to residents of South Korea. [1] [2] [3] [31]
KRWQ supports won-denominated spot trading, perpetual futures, decentralized foreign-exchange markets and institutional settlement. During 2026, it expanded through integrations with EDX Markets, Polygon, Solana and Fireblocks, added tokenized Korean government bonds to its collateral structure and adopted Chainlink Proof of Reserve. [25] [28] [33] [34] [35] [36]
By the end of 2025, KRWQ had surpassed ₩4 billion in trading volume. In January 2026, the cumulative volume across the KRWQ–USDC pool on Aerodrome and the KRWQ–frxUSD pool on Uniswap had exceeded ₩5 billion. [8][32]
Overview
KRWQ is a stablecoin pegged to the South Korean Won, launched in October 2025 through a partnership between IQ and Frax Finance. [2] [3] KRWQ was the first Korean won-pegged stablecoin to launch on Coinbase's Ethereum Layer 2 Base network. [2] [6]
The project was created to address inefficiencies in Korea's financial infrastructure and to provide a more transparent, capital-efficient, and lower-cost on-chain alternative to the traditional offshore Korean won non-deliverable forward (NDF) market. [4] [31] By pairing its KRWQ stablecoin with USDC for settlement, the project leverages USDC's existing liquidity, distribution, and trust among institutional traders, which helped accelerate its time-to-market. [31] Navin Vethanayagam, co-founder of IQ AI, stated, "KRWQ fills a critical gap in the market. While USD-backed stablecoins dominate today, no credible won-denominated stablecoin has ever launched at scale." [5]
KRWQ is not a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The project's primary objective is to offer a transparent and efficient digital representation of the KRW that facilitates 24/7, low-cost transactions across multiple blockchain networks. The stablecoin is designed to be fully backed by KRW reserves. [1] [4] [5]
KRWQ is the first KRW stablecoin available for trading on the OKX platform and Coinbase DEX. [7] In November 2025, KRWQ surpassed 1 billion won in total trading volume less than a month after launch. [8][9]
In December 2025, KRWQ joined the Circle Alliance Program, a global community of teams focused on bringing the world on-chain, powered by USDC. [10]
In February 2026, KRWQ and First Digital announced a-strategic cooperation to expand access to fully backed KRW stablecoin infrastructure and strengthen multi-currency settlement for institutional participants, with First Digital supporting onboarding, settlement alignment, and multi-currency routing. [23]
Later in February 2026, IQ announced KRWQ began acquiring tokenized Korean government bonds held at Shinhan Securities via EtherFuse’s Stablebond framework - the first integration of tokenized Korean sovereign debt into a KRW stablecoin’s collateral. [25] [24]
Technology
Multi-chain Architecture
To enhance accessibility, reduce transaction costs, and improve scalability, the project has adopted a multi-chain strategy, utilizing LayerZero's Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) standard and the Stargate bridge to allow for transfers across different blockchains. [2] [3] By deploying on multiple blockchains, KRWQ allows users to transact on the network that best suits their needs regarding speed, cost, and security. [1] Bryan Pellegrino, Co-Founder and CEO of LayerZero Labs, commented on the launch, stating, "KRWQ is an important step toward a more connected global financial system. LayerZero's interoperability makes it possible for fiat-backed assets like the Korean won to exist natively across chains." [5]
To support its market structure and trading activity, particularly for KRW-denominated products settled in USDC, IQ utilizes Circle Mint and USDC redeem flows. Leveraging the existing USDC ecosystem on the Base network allowed the project to focus on liquidity formation rather than building a new USD settlement layer from scratch. [31]
The stablecoin initially went live on the following networks:
- Ethereum (Layer 1):
0xc00db6b41473d065027f5ed6fada20fde75f142e - Base (Layer 2):
0x370923D39f139C64813f173a1bf0b4f9Ba36a24f
KRWQ subsequently expanded beyond Ethereum and Base. It launched on Fraxtal using LayerZero’s OFT standard, became available through Curve FXSwap pools on Polygon, and announced its expansion to Solana in May 2026. [28] [32] [34]
Use Cases
KRWQ is designed for several primary applications that leverage its 24/7 availability, programmability, and low cost to address inefficiencies in Korea's financial infrastructure. [4]
- Outbound Remittances: KRWQ facilitates near-instant, low-cost cross-border payments, offering a significant improvement over traditional bank wires which can take 1-5 business days and incur costs of 5-12%. The stablecoin targets critical remittance corridors from Korea to Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. [4]
- Cross-Border B2B Settlement: For Korea's vast trade market, the stablecoin allows Korean merchants to pay international suppliers with near-instant settlement. This contrasts with legacy systems that cause operational delays and high FX spreads. Smart contracts can be used to automate payments, such as releasing funds from escrow upon verifiable proof of delivery, which reduces counterparty risk and frees up working capital. [4]
- Institutional On-Chain FX & Hedging: The stablecoin provides 24/7 on-chain KRW liquidity, serving as a transparent and capital-efficient alternative to the traditional offshore Korean won non-deliverable forward (NDF) market. This allows market makers, funds, and corporations to hedge their exposure to the Korean won with lower costs and without being constrained by traditional banking hours or requiring domestic banking relationships. This function aims to unlock a portion of the significant capital held by Korean crypto users for use in the global DeFi ecosystem. [4] [31]
- Treasury Operations and Commerce: Businesses can use KRWQ to program vendor payouts and internal transfers on a single rail. It also allows merchants to price goods in KRW while settling payments globally in seconds. [1]
Roadmap
The development of KRWQ follows a clear, four-phase roadmap designed to build trust, scale liquidity, and achieve full integration with the domestic financial system. [4]
Phase 1 – Launch & Foundational Liquidity
This initial phase included the deployment of the USDC-backed token on the Base network with transparent reserves and the establishment of the initial liquidity pool on the Aerodrome decentralized exchange.
Phase 2 – Attestation & Reserve Diversification
Completed in 2025, this phase involved appointing a qualified auditing firm to provide independent monthly attestations of reserves. It also marked the beginning of the transition of reserve assets to a portfolio of short-term Korean Treasury Bonds, Korean won money market securities, and Korean won held in segregated, bankruptcy-remote custody.
Phase 3 – Institutional Expansion (2026)
Beginning in 2026, this phase is dedicated to deepening the Treasury Bill reserve backing, securing listings on additional exchanges, and integrating with remittance providers, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), and institutional Over-The-Counter (OTC) desks to scale utility and liquidity.
Phase 4 – Regulated Banking Integration (2026–2027)
The final phase involves partnering with regulated Korean banking institutions to enable direct, native KRW wire-in and wire-out for minting and redemption. This is intended to achieve the project's goal of creating a seamless, fully compliant bridge between the traditional Korean financial system and the global on-chain economy.
Trading Volume Milestones
In November 2025, KRWQ surpassed ₩1 billion in total trading volume, becoming the first Korean won-pegged stablecoin to reach this milestone less than a month after its launch. The achievement was announced on November 19, 2025, and coincided with the activation of AERO emissions on Aerodrome. This was intended to expand incentives for the KRWQ-USDC liquidity pool on the Base network and support deeper liquidity. [8] [9]
Commenting on the achievement, Navin Vethanayagam of IQ stated, "Crossing one billion won in trading volume so quickly shows the market's need for a Korean won stablecoin." [9] Sam Kazemian of Frax Finance added that the "early momentum shows how new fiat-backed stablecoins can integrate seamlessly with global DeFi liquidity." [8]
By the end of 2025, cumulative volume had exceeded ₩4 billion. In January 2026, KRWQ reported more than ₩5 billion in combined volume across the KRWQ–USDC pool on Aerodrome and the KRWQ–frxUSD pool on Uniswap. [8] [32]
Dave Shin Appointed as COO
On November 25, 2025, KRWQ announced the appointment of finance and blockchain executive Dave Shin as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) to help accelerate the stablecoin's expansion. [14] [15]
Shin brings over fifteen years of senior experience from both traditional finance (TradFi) and the blockchain industry. His background includes roles at TD Bank, Barclays and Morgan Stanley. In the blockchain sector, he held leadership roles at LayerZero Labs, Klaytn, Immutable, and Tezos. Shin is also the author of the globally published Wiley book, The Web3 Era. [14]
As COO, Shin is responsible for KRWQ's operational buildout and its integration with exchanges, liquidity providers, and institutional workflows. Upon his appointment, Shin noted that KRWQ provides "a digitally-settled alternative that collapses settlement risk, reduces balance-sheet usage, and enables continuous mark-to-market liquidity." [14]
Navin Vethanayagam of IQ stated that Shin has "a rare combination of experience" in both finance and blockchain, making him ideal for KRWQ's expansion phase. Frax founder Sam Kazemian added that Shin's expertise "make him the ideal person to lead KRWQ’s operations." [14]
Joining Fraxnet
On December 10, 2025, KRWQ integrated with Frax's FraxNet, a unified infrastructure for cross-chain stablecoin settlement. The collaboration between Frax and IQ was established to create a regulated and capital-efficient KRW-USD settlement rail for global investors. As part of the launch, KRWQ became available on the Ethereum mainnet, complementing its existing deployment on Base. [11] [16]
A KRWQ–frxUSD liquidity pool was also launched on Uniswap V4 to serve as the primary on-chain foreign exchange (FX) market between the two stablecoins. The integration routes KRWQ through FraxNet's system for managing stablecoins across multiple blockchain networks. [11] [12]
Sam Kazemian, Founder and CEO of Frax, stated that the integration "expands this framework to the Korean won and shows how global currencies can participate in regulated stablecoin infrastructure." Dave Shin, COO of KRWQ, added that the move "gives Korea its first true stablecoin settlement rail...This creates a compliant KRW–USD corridor that finally reflects how global Korea has become." Navin Vethanayagam of IQ also commented, "With KRWQ live on Ethereum and fully integrated with the Frax ecosystem, the won now has stablecoin rails that match its global reach." [11] [13] [16]
Fraxtal Expansion
In January 2026, KRWQ launched on Fraxtal and became available through a KRWQ–frxUSD liquidity pool on Velodrome Finance. The deployment uses LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token standard and Stargate Finance for cross-chain transfers. [32]
At the time of the launch, KRWQ had surpassed ₩5 billion in cumulative volume across its KRWQ–USDC pool on Aerodrome Finance and KRWQ–frxUSD pool on Uniswap. [32]
Autonomint Integration
In January 2026, KRWQ integrated with Autonomint to launch the first high-yield solution for a non-USD stablecoin. The collaboration allows users to deposit KRWQ as collateral, mint Autonomint's USDA+ stablecoin, and earn yield on the position. This mechanism also enables users to hedge KRWQ's price volatility against the US dollar. [20]
KRWQ Launches on Codex
On January 27, 2026, the on-chain foreign exchange (FX) protocol Codex announced the launch of KRWQ on its platform. This integration marks a significant expansion of on-chain FX capabilities by introducing a major Asian currency to the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. The launch provides KRWQ with immediate liquidity through a KRWQ/USDC liquidity pool and enables use cases such as efficient cross-border remittances, the creation of KRW-denominated trading pairs, and use as collateral in lending and borrowing protocols.[21]
KRWQ and First Digital Partnership
In February 2026, KRWQ and First Digital announced a strategic cooperation intended to expand access to won-denominated stablecoin infrastructure and support institutional multi-currency settlement. The cooperation connects KRWQ with First Digital’s operational frameworks to support programmable, cross-border value transfer and institutional workflows. First Digital will provide operational support and workflow integration, including partner onboarding coordination, settlement-process alignment, and multi-currency routing enablement. [23]
KRWQ Acquires Korean Government Bonds
In late February 2026, IQ announced that KRWQ has begun acquiring Korean government bonds held at Shinhan Securities. These assets are tokenized through EtherFuse’s Stablebond framework and maintained by Shinhan Securities. This is the first time tokenized Korean sovereign debt has been integrated into the collateral structure of a KRW-denominated stablecoin, strengthening KRWQ’s first-mover position as it expands. KRWQ’s fees and cash flows are directed to the IQ token, providing stakeholders with an early position in the world’s first Korean won stablecoin ecosystem. Since its 2018 launch in Seoul, IQ has built a significant presence in the Korean market with listings on major exchanges like Upbit and Bithumb. KRWQ builds upon this foundation by offering a KRW-denominated asset engineered for transparency, composability, and global liquidity.
Onchain FX Market Launch
In collaboration with Polygon Labs, Frax Finance, and Curve Finance, KRWQ became part of a new onchain foreign exchange (FX) system on the Polygon network. The system uses Frax's frxUSD as a common dollar base currency, allowing for efficient swaps between global currencies. KRWQ was one of the initial stablecoins available in Curve's FXSwap pools on Polygon, alongside others like BRZ and IDRX. These pools, which pair each currency with frxUSD, utilize Curve’s FX-optimized design to offer tighter spreads and lower slippage. The entire system operates on the Polygon network, benefiting from low transaction fees. The pools and their corresponding gauges for liquidity provider incentives are live. [28]
KRWQ/frxUSD Gauge on Curve Finance
On March 12, 2026, a Curve governance proposal was approved to add the KRWQ/frxUSD pool to the Gauge Controller, enabling liquidity providers to earn CRV emissions as rewards. This move is intended to build deep liquidity for the pair, minimizing slippage and strengthening KRWQ's integration into the DeFi ecosystem. The pool operates on Curve’s FXSwap framework, which uses the Twocrypto-NG automated market maker (AMM) model. This technology is designed for stablecoin pairs with fluctuating exchange rates, creating a decentralized, 24/7 on-chain foreign exchange market for the KRW/USD pair. By pairing with frxUSD, KRWQ is linked to a U.S. Treasury-backed digital dollar, which helps stabilize its peg and connects it to global USD liquidity. [30]
KRWQ Partners with EDXM International
Perpetual Futures Launch
On March 23, 2026, KRWQ launched the world's first Korean won stablecoin perpetual futures in partnership with EDXM International and Spark Systems. [27] EDXM International is the global arm of the Citadel Securities-backed crypto exchange EDX Markets. [26]
The product, which tracks the Korean won versus the US dollar, is settled in USDC and available on the EDXM International exchange. It is also integrated into Spark Systems' institutional eFX trading platform. The offering is designed as a more transparent and capital-efficient, blockchain-based alternative to the offshore Korean won Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF) market—one of Asia's busiest currency pairs which sees daily trading volumes of $27 billion. This on-chain solution has achieved a 50–75% reduction in trading costs compared to the traditional NDF market. [27] [26] [31] The move allows institutional traders and hedge funds to access KRW derivatives trading, with KRWQ spot markets used for hedging exposure. Navin Vethanayagam of IQ noted that the launch opens the Korean won to global crypto liquidity, with economic value directed back to the IQ token. [27]
EDX Spot Listing
On April 14, 2026, KRWQ was listed on EDX Markets’ institutional spot-trading venue. Together with the existing perpetual futures on EDXM International, the listing made KRWQ the first non-USD stablecoin offered across both spot and perpetual markets in the EDX ecosystem. The combined market structure was designed to allow institutional traders to hedge perpetual-futures positions using regulated spot liquidity. [33]
Solana Expansion
In May 2026, KRWQ announced its expansion to Solana. The deployment was intended to make KRW-denominated liquidity available to Solana-based trading systems, including onchain foreign-exchange markets, perpetual futures, cross-margin trading between KRW and US-dollar stablecoins, and institutional trading infrastructure. [34]
The expansion extended KRWQ’s multichain presence beyond its earlier deployments and integrations on Base, Ethereum, Fraxtal and Polygon. [28] [32] [34]
Fireblocks Integration
On May 29, 2026, KRWQ became available on Fireblocks through the platform’s support for assets issued on Base. The integration allows Fireblocks users to custody and transfer KRWQ through existing institutional digital-asset workflows. [35]
KRWQ identified exchange settlement, market making, treasury management, cross-border payments and onchain trading as potential use cases for the integration. [35]
Chainlink Proof of Reserve Adoption
In June 2026, KRWQ adopted Chainlink Proof of Reserve for automated verification of the offchain reserves backing the stablecoin. Reserve information is delivered through a KRWQ Chainlink Data Stream, allowing users and applications to monitor reported reserve backing using onchain data infrastructure. [36]
According to KRWQ, it was the first Korean won-backed stablecoin to use Chainlink for automated reserve verification. [36]
Theseus Network Partnership
In July 2026, IQ and Theseus Network announced plans to test KRWQ as a payment rail for autonomous AI agents. The proposed integration would allow agents built using Theseus infrastructure to hold, send, receive and route KRW-denominated value across supported applications. [37]
Grow Listing
On July 8, 2026, KRWQ announced that the stablecoin had been listed on Grow, a tokenized-asset platform offering more than 500 tokenized stocks, exchange-traded funds and commodities. The integration allows Grow users to use KRWQ for won-denominated access to tokenized assets, including products providing exposure to companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX. The listing expanded KRWQ’s potential use beyond foreign-exchange trading and settlement into tokenized real-world asset markets. [38]
Coverage
Messari's "Crypto Theses 2026"
In December 2025, KRWQ was featured in Messari's "Crypto Theses 2026" report. The report highlighted the project as the first multichain Korean won stablecoin utilizing LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) standard. [17]
The FraxFeed Interview
On December 20, 2025, KRWQ co-founder Navin Vethanayagam appeared on FraxFeed podcast to discuss the KRWQ stablecoin. [18] The interview emphasized the strategic partnership between IQ and Frax Finance, which formed the foundation for KRWQ. The collaboration combines IQ's AI tools and knowledge of the Korean market with Frax's established stablecoin architecture and DeFi expertise. [19] During the interview, Vethanayagam noted that the project's primary strategy is to attract the large Korean won offshore institutional foreign exchange (FX) market. [19] [18]
Korea JoongAng Daily
KRWQ was featured in the Korea JoongAng Daily, the English edition of one of South Korea's largest newspapers, The JoongAng. The article, published on January 12, 2026, highlighted KRWQ as the first won-pegged stablecoin and noted that its total trading volume surpassed 1 billion won in less than two weeks after its launch. [22]
South Korean National Assembly Seminar on Stablecoins
On April 7, 2026, South Korea's National Assembly hosted a seminar titled "Designing a Stablecoin Framework: Global Case Studies and Response Strategies." The event marked a governmental shift toward viewing stablecoin development as a matter of national competitiveness. Min Byung-duk, a member of the Democratic Party's Digital Asset Task Force, argued that South Korea must compete in the global stablecoin market. He cited the recent launch of KRW-pegged stablecoin perpetual futures on the EDXM exchange, a product involving KRWQ, as a "highly symbolic" development that shows the integration of stablecoins into mainstream derivatives markets. Min also introduced the concept of a "dan-gol-coin" ("regular-use coin") to describe the goal of a won-pegged stablecoin achieving widespread circulation and integration into global markets. [29]
Four Pillars and Asia Stablecoin Alliance
In April 2026, Four Pillars published an Asia Stablecoin Alliance report examining KRWQ’s availability across EDX Markets’ spot venue and EDXM International’s perpetual-futures market. The report presented the integration as an attempt to address inefficiencies in the offshore Korean won non-deliverable forward market through onchain spot and derivatives infrastructure.
The report noted that the infrastructure was developing through markets based outside South Korea. It argued that delays in establishing a domestic stablecoin framework could result in won-denominated digital financial infrastructure developing primarily offshore. [39]
South Korean Regulatory Discussion
In May 2026, Edaily reported that KRWQ was discussed during a South Korean policy forum concerning stablecoins, financial-system reform and anti-money-laundering controls. Kim Tae-il of the Digital Financial Crime Response Research Institute cited KRWQ’s EDX listing as evidence that offshore-issued won stablecoins were entering institutional investment markets.
The report presented the view that offshore stablecoins pegged to the Korean won should be subject to anti-money-laundering requirements comparable to those applied to domestically issued won stablecoins, particularly when associated with derivatives markets. [40]
