Korea’s New Bourse Considers K-Pop Tokens to Lure More Traders

The upstart challenger to South Korea’s main stock exchange is banking on fresh offerings, like digital tokens linked to K-pop song licenses, to build on its strong start and broaden appeal.

Nextrade, an alternative trading system that broke the Korea Exchange’s 70-year monopoly in March with extended trading hours, is weighing over-the-counter products to differentiate itself, chief executive officer Kim Haksoo said. Longer-term plans include leveraged and inverse ETFs, advanced order systems, and non-displayed institutional orders that are derivative of the “dark pool” concept.