Hashed launches the Korean version Layer 1! Maroo blockchain dual-track compliance to secure stablecoin sovereignty

Hashed subsidiary releases Maroo blockchain document, a Layer 1 built specifically for the Korean won economy. It adopts a dual-track system, allowing both open trading and regulatory verification, equipped with a programmable compliance layer that automatically checks limits and sanctions. Transaction fees are paid in Korean won stablecoins, with major financial institutions such as KB, Naver, and Kakao already preparing for the market.

Hashed Launches Maroo Blockchain to Challenge Dollar Stablecoin Dominance

Hashed Open Finance has published a document about Maroo, a new Layer 1 blockchain tailored for the Korean won (KRW) economy. Maroo is designed as a sovereign blockchain that combines the openness of public blockchains with regulatory compliance features necessary for financial applications, such as auditability and privacy protection. Transaction fees will be paid in Korean won stablecoins to encourage user registration and reduce volatility.

According to Hashed’s press release, current public blockchain infrastructure (like Ethereum) prioritizes anonymity, making it difficult to implement anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) measures at the network level. Such networks also pose risks of personal and corporate data leaks. These issues are especially severe in financial applications, where regulators require strict identity verification and transaction monitoring.

Hashed CEO Simon Kim stated: “Stablecoins are becoming a key pillar of global financial infrastructure. Maroo is an experimental project that respects Korean regulatory environment while pursuing global standard technological openness. We hope it will lay the foundation for banks, financial institutions, and fintech companies to jointly explore the next generation of financial services.”

This initiative aligns with local legislative efforts to establish a stablecoin market linked to the Korean won, thereby protecting and strengthening Korea’s monetary sovereignty against the growing dollar stablecoin market. Currently, the global stablecoin market is dominated by USD-pegged stablecoins like USDT and USDC, which pose potential sovereignty risks for non-U.S. economies. Heavy use of dollar stablecoins by citizens effectively cedes monetary sovereignty to the United States.

Maroo Dual-Track System Balances Openness and Compliance

To address compliance issues, Maroo adopts a “dual-track” system that allows an “open path” for unrestricted wallet creation and trading, and a “regulated path” where identity verification or restrictions are applied based on transaction size. This design aims to strike a balance between decentralization and regulatory requirements.

The open path permits anyone to create wallets anonymously and conduct transactions, similar to traditional public blockchains like Ethereum or Solana. This route is suitable for small transactions, decentralized applications, and activities outside the traditional financial system. Users can freely utilize blockchain technology without revealing their real identities.

The regulated path targets financial activities requiring compliance. When transaction amounts exceed certain thresholds or involve interactions with banks, securities firms, or other regulated entities, the system prompts users to complete KYC verification. This layered design allows Maroo to serve both crypto-native users and meet traditional financial compliance needs.

Maroo is also equipped with a programmable compliance layer (PCL), which automatically checks transfer limits and sanctions during transactions, and can be updated according to regulatory changes. PCL is a smart contract layer embedded with compliance logic. For example, if a wallet address is blacklisted, PCL will automatically block transactions involving that address. If regulators update transfer limits, PCL can be upgraded via governance mechanisms without hard forking the entire blockchain.

Additionally, Maroo includes a verifiable privacy framework that allows selective disclosure of data when required by legal procedures. This design employs cryptographic techniques like zero-knowledge proofs to demonstrate compliance without revealing all transaction details. It balances protecting commercial privacy with regulatory audit requirements.

Maroo Integrates AI Agents and Future Financial Applications

Maroo’s blockchain was designed with future AI integration in mind, including tools for verifying AI agents, managing their permissions and consumption limits, and revoking access when necessary. This forward-looking design reflects Hashed’s view that AI agents will play a significant role in payments, transactions, and asset management.

In future financial scenarios, AI agents may act on behalf of users to execute automated investments, cross-border payments, or interact with smart contracts. However, this also introduces new risks: if an AI agent malfunctions, is hacked, or makes erroneous decisions, it could cause significant losses. Maroo’s AI agent management system allows users to set permission boundaries, such as limiting AI to transfer a maximum of $1,000 per day or prohibiting interactions with certain high-risk protocols.

Furthermore, Hashed Open Finance aims to collaborate with regulators, financial institutions, research organizations, and tech startups to build digital infrastructure for the Korean economy on the Maroo platform. Founded in 2017, Hashed is a Web3 venture capital firm focused on investing in and researching global startups and decentralized protocols. As part of Hashed, the FinTech division is dedicated to driving financial innovation and global competitiveness in Korea through stablecoins, RWA tokenization, security token offerings, and broader blockchain applications.

South Korean Financial Institutions Actively Prepare for Stablecoin Market

Major Korean financial and payment institutions, including KB, Naver, and Kakao, are actively preparing for the upcoming Korean won stablecoin market by launching related wallet products and filing patents for stablecoin technology. Their participation indicates that Korea’s stablecoin strategy is driven not only by government initiatives but also by a strong industry foundation.

KB, one of Korea’s largest banking groups, provides a trusted banking-level backing for the Korean won stablecoin. Naver and Kakao are respectively Korea’s largest search engine and messaging app operators, with tens of millions of active users. If the Korean won stablecoin can be integrated into these platforms’ payment systems, it will unlock vast usage scenarios and user bases.

It is expected that Korea’s upcoming comprehensive cryptocurrency regulation bill—the “Digital Asset Basic Act”—will include rules concerning local stablecoins. The bill is anticipated to be finalized in the first quarter of this year. However, debates over stablecoin issuance qualifications continue. Reports suggest that the Bank of Korea and the Financial Services Commission have reached an agreement that issuance will be centered around licensed banking consortia, but ruling party lawmakers criticize this bank-centric structure as stifling innovation.

In related developments, the Korean National Assembly recently passed legislation establishing a legal framework for security token offerings, paving the way for regulated issuance and trading of blockchain-based tokenized securities in the country.