MoonPay Dunamu Partnership Explores Stablecoin Payments and GIWA Blockchain Expansion

MoonPay announced on October 20, 2026, that it is pursuing a strategic collaboration with Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest crypto exchange Upbit, to evaluate joint opportunities in digital-asset financial infrastructure. The announcement, issued via PR Newswire from New York, centers on three exploratory areas: stablecoin-based global payments and fund transfers, digital asset tools for corporate finance and treasury management, and expanded global connectivity for Dunamu’s Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain GIWA.

MoonPay Dunamu Partnership Focus Areas

The companies will assess technical feasibility and commercial potential across the three stated domains without committing to specific products, timelines or financial terms. MoonPay Head of APAC Bugeon Lee stated that stablecoins need supporting technology and networks for both cross-border transfers and real business operations, and the collaboration aims to identify new digital-asset possibilities while helping the GIWA ecosystem reach a wider international audience. Dunamu issued no separate public statement in the release.

MoonPay currently serves more than 35 million customers across 180 countries and more than 1,500 enterprise clients. GIWA remains in development, operating on testnet only with mainnet still under construction and no live assets deployed as of late October 2026. The partnership therefore begins at the evaluation stage, with no immediate integrations or product launches confirmed.

Both firms will examine how MoonPay’s existing network of on-ramps, custody options and compliance tooling might connect with GIWA infrastructure. The review also covers potential use of stablecoins for corporate treasury functions such as settlement, liquidity management and cross-border disbursements. No particular stablecoin issuers or token standards have been named.

Context on Dunamu, Upbit and GIWA Development

Dunamu operates Upbit and has pursued additional financial partnerships, including a planned stock-swap merger with Naver Financial focused on stablecoin and payment services. In 2026 Hana Bank acquired a 6.55 percent stake in Dunamu for approximately 1 trillion won, or about 755.6 million dollars at prevailing exchange rates. GIWA is built on the OP Stack and secured an Optimism partnership in May 2026 for a Self-Managed OP Enterprise tier, with Upbit designated as primary sequencer.

The October 20 announcement does not alter GIWA’s current development status. Mainnet launch remains scheduled for a later date, and any integration work with MoonPay services would follow the completion of the joint feasibility review. Industry observers note that linking an established on-ramp provider with an exchange-backed Layer 2 could accelerate liquidity and developer access once the chain reaches production, though execution details are not yet available.

Evaluation Process and Expected Outcomes

The companies stated they will continue to evaluate technical requirements, regulatory considerations and commercial viability before deciding on next steps. No binding agreements beyond the initial exploration have been disclosed. The review is expected to identify additional opportunities beyond the three named focus areas.

Market participants have watched similar collaborations between global payment infrastructure firms and regional exchanges for signals on how stablecoin usage may expand into enterprise finance. The absence of concrete launch dates or product specifications in the current release means any resulting services would be announced separately after the assessment phase concludes.