Crypto.com Partners with KSNET for Crypto Payments in South Korea

Crypto.com has announced a significant partnership with KSNET to enable crypto payments for tourists in South Korea. The collaboration allows foreign visitors to use Crypto.com Pay for goods and services at leading retail spots, including fashion, beauty, and duty-free shops. This initiative aims to provide international tourists with more payment flexibility when visiting South Korea’s top shopping districts.

The service extends to public transit on Jeju Island, where Crypto.com Visa Card users can pay for bus rides directly. This integration simplifies travel for tourists, as they no longer need separate transit cards. The partnership leverages KSNET’s robust payment infrastructure, which handles about 130 million transactions each month and serves over 330,000 merchants. Merchants can accept crypto at lower fees and faster settlement via Crypto.com Pay, expanding the real-world use of digital assets and building trust in crypto payments among businesses.

Eric Anziani, Crypto.com’s President and COO, emphasized the mission to integrate crypto into everyday transactions. He highlighted the importance of making crypto a regular payment option, stressing that the partnership with KSNET is a step towards achieving this goal. The collaboration supports people who want to spend crypto in daily life, positioning it as a normal payment method.

KSNET’s CEO, Hankook Park, praised the alliance, noting that it meets the changing needs of merchants and consumers. Adding crypto payments offers more options to travelers and strengthens KSNET’s role in South Korea’s payment market. The partnership updates KSNET’s legacy systems, ensuring merchants can serve customers who prefer digital assets. Park highlighted that this technology bridges traditional and digital finance, and KSNET will continue exploring new payment solutions.

This initiative reflects a broader trend of major crypto platforms joining traditional finance beyond trading services. It pushes for the real-world usage of digital assets, allowing Crypto.com exchange users to spend crypto on everyday needs like shopping and transport. This shift also indicates growing crypto adoption by citizens and tourists in South Korea, moving digital coins from speculation toward practical use.

Crypto.com’s recent partnership with Dubai’s Department of Finance further supports this trend. The agreement allows citizens to pay government fees using cryptocurrency, positioning crypto in official transactions and supporting Dubai’s cashless society strategy. This move underscores Crypto.com’s focus on practical crypto uses and its aim to work with governments to bridge crypto and public services.

The Crypto.com and KSNET initiative continues to expand the crypto industry’s reach, focusing on Korea’s tourist market. The collaboration offers a secure, scalable system that connects crypto holders to everyday services abroad. Starting with retail and transit, it proves that practical crypto payments are possible. Over time, this model may expand to more cities and industries, defining South Korea’s crypto adoption pathways and showing how digital assets fit into daily life. For foreign travelers, the system delivers simplicity and trust when spending crypto overseas, providing a clear blueprint for future crypto projects.