Optimism signs MOU with Toss to explore onchain payments for 30 million users in South Korea

South Korea’s most popular financial super-app just took a meaningful step toward putting everyday payments onchain. Optimism, the Ethereum Layer 2 network, signed a memorandum of understanding on July 8 with Viva Republica, the company behind Toss, and Sunnyside Labs, a privacy-focused developer, to explore blockchain-based payment infrastructure for Toss’s massive user base.

The deal kicks off a three-month proof-of-concept that will test a Korean won-pegged stablecoin built on the OP Stack. If it works, it could put onchain rails underneath one of Asia’s most widely used fintech platforms, one that serves up to 30 million users and connects to more than 500,000 merchants.

What the partnership actually involves

The proof-of-concept has three core components. First, the OP Stack will serve as the blockchain backbone, handling transaction throughput and interoperability. Second, a KRW-pegged stablecoin will be tested as the payment medium, though the specific token model hasn’t been disclosed yet. Third, Sunnyside Labs will deploy its Privacy Boost technology to handle KYC and AML compliance.

South Korea’s financial regulatory environment is among the most stringent in Asia. Any stablecoin or crypto payment product that wants to operate at scale there needs to demonstrate institutional-grade compliance from day one. Privacy Boost is designed to let users transact onchain while still satisfying identity verification requirements.

Toss is hedging its blockchain bets

Just a month before signing with Optimism, Toss Bank entered into a separate MOU with the Solana Foundation in June 2026 to explore remittance applications. Toss appears to be running parallel experiments across multiple blockchain ecosystems, with Solana’s use case focused on cross-border money movement rather than domestic payments.

The stablecoin ambitions aren’t new either. Toss reportedly signaled interest in issuing a stablecoin as early as March 2026. The Optimism MOU gives that ambition a concrete technical framework and a compliance partner in Sunnyside Labs.

What this means for investors

If this PoC succeeds, Optimism gains a pathway to onboarding millions of non-crypto-native users through an app they already trust with their money. Toss’s merchant network of over 500,000 businesses means this isn’t just about user wallets — it’s about point-of-sale integration.

The risk side is straightforward. Regulatory clearance for stablecoin issuance in South Korea is far from guaranteed. An MOU is a statement of intent, not a product launch. The three-month timeline means results won’t arrive until late 2026, and even a successful PoC would need further regulatory approvals before any consumer-facing deployment.

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