On December 22, KOSDAQ-listed company Oneul ENM officially announced the issuance of a "payment-guaranteed coin" linked to the tourism value chain, with confirmed payment destinations such as resorts, golf courses, and travel packages. The company declared its intention to directly address the practical limitations of stablecoins.
The core of this new model is clear. Instead of relying on algorithms or virtual collateral to maintain price stability, the structure guarantees payments based on the creditworthiness of the listed company and the payment flows generated by real tourism assets. To achieve this, Oneul ENM has designed a triple-layered structure that separates issuance, operation, and settlement, thereby ensuring both accounting transparency and legal stability.
Notably, this coin was designed from the outset for "payment," not "investment." The company plans to sequentially connect actual payment venues, starting with the Laolaobay Golf & Resort-currently invested in through a private equity fund-and expanding to hotels, golf courses, and sports brand stores.
Tourists will be able to directly pay for package travel products that combine accommodation, transportation, and admission tickets with the coin, and receive a portion of their spending back in the form of points or tokens through a closed-loop reward system, encouraging repeat visits and purchases. This structure is distinctly different from existing models, as it keeps the coin circulating within its own ecosystem rather than leaking into external speculative markets.
In addition, the company will issue prepaid payment cards to long-term foreign residents and international students, expanding into lifestyle service areas such as healthcare, education, and rentals. The strategy is to complete a real-asset-based payment loop that connects tourism, daily life, and repeat consumption.
From a technical perspective, the company has adopted a wallet-to-wallet transfer method integrated with PG/VAN payment networks to minimize transaction fees, and enhanced security and transparency with smart contract-based automated settlements. Furthermore, by introducing a global payment infrastructure based on the TransFi API, the system enables real-time currency exchange and settlement in local currencies when foreign tourists make payments with the coin.
On October 30, Oneul ENM expanded its business portfolio to encompass the entire fintech sector by adding blockchain and virtual asset finance, STO, PG, escrow, and currency exchange businesses as new business purposes at an extraordinary general meeting. The company also appointed Director Kim Seokhwan, who has experience in blockchain applied technology research and virtual asset exchange operation, as a new executive, thereby building a team focused on the operational stage rather than just the idea stage.
A company representative stated, "The payment-guaranteed coin is not a speculative asset, but rather the closest form to a currency that is actually used," adding, "We aim to pioneer the first payment-focused coin market for real-world use in Korea."
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