OP Labs CEO Explains Why Exchanges Are Moving Onchain with OP Enterprise

Optimism held a closed-door meeting with the Ethereum Foundation and South Korea's financial and policy leaders in Seoul this week, ahead of September's flagship Ethereum conference. The meeting, hosted by Ethereum Korea, brought together: - Securities firms - Card companies - Policy finance institutions - Korea's Financial Investment Association This follows Optimism's recent momentum in Korea, including partnerships with Toss (serving 30M+ users) for a won-backed stablecoin proof of concept, and DB Securities building STO and RWA infrastructure on the OP Stack.

**Privacy Boost is now deployed on OP Mainnet and Soneium**, marking a significant step in bringing confidential transactions to the OP Stack. The deployment sets the stage for **Toss to run a won-linked stablecoin trial** reaching approximately 30 million users in South Korea. Toss, which handles financial transactions for two-thirds of South Korea, partnered with Optimism to explore blockchain-based digital finance infrastructure. **Key features of Privacy Boost:** - Encrypts transfers and contract logic while maintaining transaction auditability for compliance - Supports pre-confirmations, enabling private transfers within one second - Provides institutions with privacy while allowing regulators to maintain oversight The three-month proof of concept will test whether the Won can settle onchain while meeting Korea's strict compliance, privacy, and control requirements. This represents a practical test case for **tokenized finance with built-in confidentiality** from the start. More details: [Cointelegraph coverage](https://cointelegraph.com/news/south-korea-toss-partners-optimism-won-stablecoins) | [Optimism blog](https://optimism.io/blog/two-thirds-of-south-korea-runs-its-money-through-toss-now-toss-is-exploring-putting-the-won)

**Optimism partners with Toss to explore blockchain-based finance in South Korea** Toss, the financial super-app used by over 30 million South Koreans (two-thirds of the population), has signed an MOU with Optimism to test putting the Korean Won onchain. **Key details:** - Three-month proof of concept launching with Optimism, PrivacyBoost, and Toss - Testing a Won-backed stablecoin built on the OP Stack - Focus on meeting Korea's compliance, privacy, and control requirements - Toss handles banking, payments, investing, credit, and taxes for users The pilot will determine whether money can settle onchain while maintaining regulatory standards. If successful, this could establish the OP Stack as infrastructure for compliant digital finance at national scale. [Read the full announcement](https://optimism.io/blog/two-thirds-of-south-korea-runs-its-money-through-toss-now-toss-is-exploring-putting-the-won) | [Cointelegraph coverage](https://cointelegraph.com/news/south-korea-toss-partners-optimism-won-stablecoins)

Centralized exchanges (CEXs) have quietly become significant distributors of onchain activity, according to a new analysis from Optimism. The shift represents a notable evolution in the crypto ecosystem. While decentralized exchanges (DEXs) were designed to eliminate intermediaries, CEXs have adapted by facilitating onchain transactions at scale. **Key developments:** - CEXs now process substantial volumes of onchain transfers and settlements - Traditional exchanges are bridging users to Layer 2 networks and DeFi protocols - The trend challenges assumptions about the CEX vs DEX divide This development suggests the future may involve coexistence rather than competition between centralized and decentralized platforms. CEXs bring regulatory compliance and user familiarity, while enabling access to onchain infrastructure. Read the full analysis: [Optimism Blog](https://www.optimism.io/blog/how-centralized-exchanges-quietly-became-crypto-s-biggest-onchain-distributors)