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On December 11, 2025, Everstake, a prominent global non-custodial staking provider, and KODA (Korea Digital Asset), South Korea’s leading institutional digital asset custodian, announced a groundbreaking partnership to offer compliant staking solutions to the Korean financial sector. This collaboration is set against a backdrop of evolving regulatory attitudes in South Korea, where recent policy shifts in 2025 have created a more favorable environment for digital assets. The partnership aims to capitalize on this momentum, providing banks, corporations, and fintech companies with a reliable entry point into blockchain ecosystems through regulated staking services.
KODA will introduce locally branded nodes maintained by Everstake, ensuring a seamless blend of regional compliance and Everstake’s robust staking infrastructure, which boasts an impressive 99.98% uptime. The partnership leverages KODA’s familiarity with South Korea’s regulatory landscape alongside Everstake’s global reputation for meeting rigorous security standards, including SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications.
The emergence of a regulated staking framework in South Korea is timely, given the nation’s growing interest in digital currencies and blockchain technologies. South Korea has long been at the forefront of technological innovation and was one of the first countries to widely adopt mobile payments and cryptocurrency trading. This partnership aligns with the government’s recent emphasis on integrating digital assets into the traditional financial framework, aiming to enhance transparency and security.
Jin Seok Cho, CEO of KODA, highlighted the importance of trust and compliance in this venture. “Korean institutions demand high standards of reliability and transparency,” he remarked. “Our alliance with Everstake ensures that these expectations are met, allowing us to present a robust staking experience under the KODA brand, bolstered by Everstake’s cutting-edge technology.”
Bohdan Opryshko, Co-Founder and COO of Everstake, echoed these sentiments, noting their mission to enhance institutional access to secure staking across global markets. “Partnering with KODA brings our vision to South Korea, marrying local regulatory expertise with our extensive experience in Proof-of-Stake networks globally.”
Everstake, established in 2018 by a team of blockchain engineers, has rapidly grown to become the largest non-custodial staking provider worldwide, managing $7 billion in staked assets. The company supports over a million users across more than 80 Proof-of-Stake networks. Its reputation is built on delivering institutional-grade services with near-perfect operational uptime, certified by stringent compliance standards like SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, and NIST CSF. Despite its size and influence, Everstake maintains a clear stance on not providing investment advice or services, emphasizing its role purely as a technology enabler.
KODA, a joint initiative between KB Kookmin Bank and blockchain investment firm Hashed, dominates the cryptocurrency custody market in South Korea, controlling approximately 86% of the share. This dominance is bolstered by a firm commitment to security and regulatory compliance, under the leadership of Jin Seok Cho and his experienced team. The custodian’s backing by significant investors like Hashed and Altos Ventures underscores its credibility and influence in the digital asset space.
However, this ambitious partnership does not come without challenges. The implementation of a regulated staking system requires careful navigation of South Korea’s stringent financial regulations, which, while recently more favorable, still present substantial hurdles. Moreover, as with any venture into digital finance, there remains the inherent risk of market volatility and potential technological vulnerabilities, which could impact the stability and reliability of staking returns.
Looking beyond the immediate opportunities in South Korea, this collaboration could set a precedent for similar initiatives in other regions with evolving digital asset regulations. As countries worldwide grapple with the implications of integrating blockchain technologies into existing financial systems, the Everstake-KODA partnership could serve as a model for how regulated, institutional-grade staking can be effectively implemented.
In summary, the partnership between Everstake and KODA is a significant step forward in bridging traditional finance with emerging blockchain technologies in South Korea. By creating a secure, compliant infrastructure for staking, the initiative not only meets the demands of local institutions but also positions South Korea as a leader in the regulated digital asset space. As global interest in digital currencies continues to rise, the outcomes of this partnership could have far-reaching implications, contributing to the broader acceptance and integration of cryptocurrency in mainstream finance.
