- The Bank of Korea plans to launch the second phase of its wholesale CBDC pilot, Project Hangang, as early as September.
- Two regional banks, Kyongnam Bank and iM Bank, will join the existing seven participants, expanding the pilot to nine banks.
- New features include testing government subsidy disbursements through tokenized bank deposits and additional payment functionalities.
The Bank of Korea may launch the second phase of Project Hangang, its wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot, as early as September, according to a report from Yonhap News. The next stage expands participation to nine banks from seven, introduces new payment features, and tests government subsidy disbursements through tokenized bank deposits.
Kyongnam Bank and iM Bank, two regional lenders, will join the existing group of participants. The pilot uses a blockchain-based wholesale CBDC issued by the central bank as the settlement asset for deposit tokens issued by commercial banks.
Consequently, consumers can use the bank-issued tokens for everyday payments. The expansion marks a significant step in testing real-world applications of digital currency infrastructure in South Korea.
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