"Trust Is the Challenge for Digital Assets... South Korea's Next Export Could Be 'Trust in Digital Assets'" [KBW2026]

[Financial News] Trust will be crucial for institutional investors to enter the global digital asset market in earnest.
Mike Belshe, co-founder and CEO of BitGo, said at the main conference of Korea Blockchain Week 2026 (KBW2026), Asia's largest blockchain event, held on the 30th at Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts Seoul, "Blockchain has already provided accessibility. The next step is trust." As the center of gravity in the global digital asset market shifts from retail investors and exchanges to institutions and traditional financial companies, his remarks underscored the need to build trust to drive institutional investment in digital assets.
He stressed that security must come first if institutional investors are to enter the market. Belshe said, "Security for digital assets, including governance and approval procedures, must be built in from the outset," adding, "Building the system first and adding security afterward is insufficient."
He also noted that functions such as custody and credit need to be connected but separated. If all functions are concentrated in a single system, the entire system could be paralyzed by just one failure.
Belshe explained, "Even foreign companies must resolve issues in South Korea through Korean banks and financial institutions," adding, "They must be able to secure global connectivity while complying with local regulations." He continued, "The expertise and technology developed in South Korea are targeting global markets," and emphasized, "South Korea's next export could be 'trust in digital assets.'"
Amid the spread of generative AI, some also suggested that blockchain could verify work performed by AI.
Michael Heinrich, co-founder and CEO of 0G Labs, explained, "If AI is intelligence, blockchain provides trust and verifiability," adding, "Blockchain can be used as AI's trust infrastructure."
0G Labs is building AI-specific infrastructure that enables blockchain to verify how AI processes data and uses computing resources.
Heinrich said computing resources will become a type of commodity, similar to oil or electricity. Computing resources refer to the processing power and memory capacity of computers needed to train and run AI systems. He emphasized, "An era will come when people can secure, own or trade as much computing power as they need."
The use of stablecoins for actual payments and settlements is also gaining momentum. Stable, a payment infrastructure company for stablecoins, announced a strategy to expand stablecoin use beyond exchanges and the digital asset market into the real economy.
Brian Meller, CEO of Stable, emphasized, "We are focused on building payment infrastructure that makes stablecoins usable in the real world," adding, "We will significantly shorten the time it takes to convert crypto assets into fiat currency."
The company will also expand its supported assets. PayPal USD (PYUSD) is scheduled to be introduced natively on the Stable Chain on October 8.
[email protected] Lee Joo-mi, Kim Kyung-tae and Park Chae-yeon Reporter