What Is Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) and Why It’s Shaping Web3 Future

Korea Blockchain Week is Seoul's premier annual Web3 festival, bringing together global blockchain leaders, investors, regulators, and developers. Since its 2018 debut, it has evolved into a multi-day conference featuring workshops, hackathons, and cultural events, solidifying Korea's role as a hub for crypto innovation.

With Korea Blockchain Week 2026 on the horizon, the event promises unmatched insights into blockchain, AI, DeFi, and institutional adoption across Asia.

Who organizes Korea Blockchain Week?
Organizer: FactBlock

Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea.

FACTBLOCK acts as the festival producer and curator, responsible for the main IMPACT conference and official side-event approvals. Teams planning their own gatherings during the week can also submit crypto event details for consideration.

Key Leaders at FACTBLOCK

Seonik Jeon — Founder & Architect of Korea Blockchain Week

Seonik Jeon founded FACTBLOCK in 2018 and launched KBW the same year.

Background:

Former Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Cointelegraph

Bachelor's in MIS from California State University, Long Beach

MBA from Korea University

He positioned KBW not as a hype expo, but as:

A regulatory discussion platform

An institutional bridge

A long-term infrastructure forum

He is widely considered the international strategist behind KBW's expansion.

Park Wi-ik — Corporate Representative

Park Wi-ik has appeared in corporate filings and operational leadership documentation tied to FACTBLOCK.

He has been associated with:

Administrative coordination

Corporate governance

Strategic execution

KBW 2018–2025: How Korea Blockchain Week Evolved

Korea Blockchain Week 2018: The Foundation Year

Dates: September 2018

City: Seoul

KBW launched at the height of global ICO fever — and amid Korea's tightening regulatory scrutiny. The country had just implemented restrictions on domestic token sales, and uncertainty was high. Rather than retreat, FACTBLOCK created a platform for dialogue.

Core Focus in 2018

The inaugural edition focused on:

ICO regulation

Blockchain infrastructure

Korea's role in global crypto markets

Among early headline participants were figures such as Vitalik Buterin of Ethereum and Changpeng Zhao of Binance — signaling that Seoul was not going to sit on the sidelines.

KBW's first year established its core identity: a bridge between Korean regulators, global founders, and capital markets.

Notable Events in 2018

Hashed Night at Le Méridien Seoul

Hosted by Hashed, one of Korea's leading crypto investment firms.

Private, invite-only event

Strong attendance from Korean blockchain founders and investors

Panel discussions focused on regulation and innovation

CoinUs x BRP Private Meetup

Approximately 700 participants

Included domestic and international blockchain teams

Crypto funds, exchanges, and C-level executives attended

Key Observations From 2018

Strong Korean retail participation despite regulatory uncertainty

Rapid ICO growth

Emerging discussion on navigating government restrictions

Seoul positioned as an active crypto hub

Korea Blockchain Week 2019 — Institutionalization

Dates: September 27–29, 2019

Venue: InterContinental Seoul COEX

Attendance & Scale

4,000+ attendees

50+ global speakers

40+ media partners

20+ additional conferences and networking events

Core Themes

By 2019, the speculative mania had cooled. The conversation matured.

This blockchain conference focused on institutional adoption, exchange infrastructure, custody solutions, and compliance. Korea's large retail investor base had survived the crash — now institutional players were entering.

Notable speakers included:

Arthur Hayes, then CEO of BitMEX

Tim Draper, venture capitalist

Changpeng Zhao, Binance

Attendance expanded significantly, and KBW began attracting stronger Western venture participation. Seoul was becoming an Asian access point.

VIP events included:

D.FINE VIP Party at State Tower Namsan (Invite-only)

D.FINE Networking Mixer

Official After Party

Major Side Events in 2019

BLOCKFESTA 2019 (National Assembly Hall)

Live Meetup @ Orbs

CoinTelegraph Korea VIP Networking Dinner

Sustainable Governance for Blockchain Seminar

Seoul Smart City Summit & Conference (DDP Art Hall)

Investors Cocktail Dinners & Private Meetups

Brunch at Hashed Lounge

KBW 2019 demonstrated strong integration between government discussions, private capital, and blockchain infrastructure.

Korea Blockchain Week 2020: Surviving the Pandemic

Dates: October 2020
Format: Hybrid (Online + Limited Physical Presence)

The 2020 edition shifted to hybrid format, with livestreamed panels and limited in-person sessions. Despite restrictions, it captured one of crypto's most transformative shifts: the rise of DeFi.

Speakers included:

Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave

Kain Warwick, founder of Synthetix

The focus was decentralized finance redefining capital markets.

While attendance numbers dipped due to travel limits, digital participation surged — introducing KBW to a broader global online audience.

Korea Blockchain Week 2021 — NFT & GameFi Boom

Dates: December 6–10, 2021

Venue: Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas

Crypto had returned — louder and more experimental.

The 2021 edition was dominated by NFTs, GameFi sector, and metaverse narratives. Korea, with its gaming culture and digital-native population, was a natural epicenter for this conversation.

Key speakers included:

Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon

Sebastien Borget, co-founder of The Sandbox

Side events multiplied across Gangnam and COEX. NFT galleries, metaverse demos, and token launches filled the week. Attendance rebounded strongly, reaffirming KBW's physical event power.

Korea Blockchain Week 2022: The Launch of KBW IMPACT

Dates: August 7–14, 2022

Flagship Conference: IMPACT (August 8–9)
Venue: Walkerhill Hotel & Resort, Seoul

More than 8,000 attendees participated across official blockchain events and side gatherings.

The message was clear: Korea would remain a global crypto hub, even after the crisis.

Major speakers included:

Vitalik Buterin

Sandeep Nailwal

Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly

Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol

2022 marked a structural shift. KBW introduced IMPACT as its flagship conference — a high-level, curated main stage crypto gathering within a broader week of side events.

This rebranding elevated the event's positioning.

Despite global market turbulence following Terra's collapse (a crisis deeply tied to the Korean ecosystem), KBW did not shrink. Instead, it became a forum for reflection and rebuilding.

Korea Blockchain Week 2023 — Infrastructure & AI

Dates: September 4–10, 2023

IMPACT: September 5–6
Venue: Walkerhill Hotel & Resort

Attendance numbers reportedly crossed 10,000+ participants across the week's activities. By 2023, speculation gave way to infrastructure.

The themes centered around:

Layer 1 and Layer 2 scalability

Regulatory alignment in Asia

The intersection of AI and blockchain

Speakers:

Arthur Hayes

Anatoly Yakovenko, founder of Solana

Illia Polosukhin, NEAR

Global representatives from exchanges, funds, and Layer 2 ecosystems

KBW 2023 was notably more institutional in tone. Korean policymakers and financial entities increased visibility, signaling gradual normalization of crypto within traditional finance.

Korea Blockchain Week 2024— AI × Web3 & Record Participation

Dates: September 1–7, 2024

IMPACT: September 3–4

Venue: Walkerhill Hotel & Resort

This was a scale year.

FACTBLOCK reported approximately:

~17,000 attendees

Hundreds of speakers

Massive side-event growth

Core Themes:

The main topic of discussion were

AI integration

ZK scaling

Modular blockchain

Real World Assets (RWA)

Main Speakers:

Justin Sun

Lily Liu

Tom Lee

Executives from Polygon, Aptos, Avalanche, and major venture firms

Institutional presence deepened. Korean banks and fintech firms began exploring tokenization discussions more openly. Seoul re-established itself as Asia's Web3 capital.

How Was Korea Blockchain Week 2025 — Mainstream Crossover & Mega Scale

Date: September 22 to 28, 2025

Main Conference: September 23–24, 2025

Venue: Walkerhill Hotels & Resort

Attendance (reported): 72,700+ participants

Speakers: 870+

Sponsors: 410+

Side Events: 1,230+

This edition was the most media-visible in KBW history, positioned as top blockchain events in Korea.

Major Speakers:

Donald Trump Jr. (Virtual)

Eric Trump(Virtual)

Arthur Hayes

Charles Hoskinson

Justin Sun

Sandeep Nailwal

Key Themes:

Institutional Bitcoin adoption

Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT)

RWA tokenization

Cross-border regulation

AI agents

Notable Impact:

U.S. policymakers appeared alongside Korean regulators

Global media coverage increased

Venture deal activity accelerated

KBW 2025 felt less like a crypto conference and more like a global financial summit.

Why KBW 2025 Mattered

Marked one of the largest Web3 events in Asia, blending technology, finance and culture.

Brought global mainstream attention with Hollywood, sports and blockchain visionaries on stage.

Positioned Seoul as a global crossroad for innovation, regulation and institutional dialogue.

Korea Blockchain Week 2026 — What to Expect

Event: Korea Blockchain Week 2026

Dates: September 29 – October 1, 2026

Location: Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts, Seoul, South Korea

Main Sponsor (confirmed): Upbit — Korea's leading digital asset exchange

Expected Scale & Participation

FACTBLOCK's early promotional material for KBW 2026 suggests:

Over 340+ speakers enrich IMPACT programming (anticipated)

Continued growth in side events, sponsor participation, builder workshops and media access opportunities

An institutional forum with Upbit on Day 1 further solidifies KBW's role as a policy-market interface.

The inclusion of Upbit as Main Sponsor signals deeper institutional integration and stronger ties between the domestic Korean market and global institutional stakeholders.

The 2026 edition is anticipated to deepen collaboration between:
Asian regulators

Institutional asset managers

Global exchanges

Layer 2 and modular blockchain builders

What can attendees expect at KBW 2026?

KBW is expected to emphasize regulatory clarity and regional capital integration — potentially positioning Seoul as the policy discussion hub for Asia-Pacific crypto markets.

Speakers Details: Past editions have included prominent figures like Brad Garlinghouse (Ripple), Richard Teng (Binance), and various leaders from the Aptos Foundation and Tron.

(The official speaker lineup will be released in the coming months.)

When will KBW 2026 tickets go on sale?

Once the official ticket tiers and pricing are published by FACTBLOCK, you'll be able to register directly on the KBW registration page — so keep an eye on koreablockchainweek.com and official KBW social channels for updates as the event approaches. Readers can also check the Korea Blockchain Week 2026 listing for early updates.

How to Buy Tickets

Once registration opens:

Visit the official KBW website: https://koreablockchainweek.com

Find the "Tickets" or "Register" button on the homepage.

Select your ticket tier, fill in attendee details.

Complete payment and Receive confirmation

Important tip: Buy early, especially for VIP passes and side-event packages — popular dates and tracks often sell out fast.

Korea Blockchain Week 2026 Impact on the Korean Crypto Market

Korea remains one of the highest per-capita crypto trading nations. KBW reinforces that position annually.

Its impact includes:

Increased foreign venture investment in Korean Web3 startups

Greater visibility for Korean blockchain builders

Accelerated regulatory dialogue

Cross-border partnerships between exchanges and protocols

Following major market events — including the Terra collapse — KBW helped stabilize industry confidence through open dialogue.

It has become the moment each year when the Korean crypto market reconnects with global liquidity flows. Those tracking similar gatherings abroad can also browse crypto events USA for a comparison point.

From Regional Meetup to Global Powerhouse: The Rise of Korea Blockchain Week

In less than a decade, Korea Blockchain Week evolved from a regional gathering into a globally recognized Web3 summit.

It mirrors the evolution of crypto itself:

2018: ICO optimism

2020: DeFi revolution

2021: NFT explosion

2022: Crisis & restructuring

2023–2026: Institutionalization and infrastructure

Seoul now stands firmly on the global Web3 map.

And each September, when founders return to the Walkerhill overlooking the Han River, the conversations resume — not just about tokens, but about the architecture of the next financial system.

Final Thoughts

Korea Blockchain Week has matured from a local meetup week into a full-scale international festival that mixes technology, capital and culture. Run by FACTBLOCK and guided by visible leaders, the event has become an important engine for Korea's Web3 ambitions — a practical bridge for builders, investors and regulators to shape the future of the region's digital economy. For more crypto events please visit Crypto Events Calendar.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and not financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are volatile and risky. Always research and consult a qualified financial advisor.