The Open Finance division of the crypto investment firm Hashed recently launched a Layer 1 blockchain project called Maroo.

This new blockchain has a distinctive feature — it is specifically designed for the Korean won stablecoin economy. You can think of it as not a general-purpose foundational chain, but a vertical solution targeting specific regions and assets.

From an architectural perspective, Maroo attempts to strike a balance between two seemingly contradictory demands. On one side is the openness and decentralization characteristics of traditional public chains, and on the other side are the strict compliance and risk control requirements of financial institutions. What does this mean? It means that transaction fees are settled directly in KRW, allowing users to trade without first converting to other currencies — lowering the barrier and providing a more straightforward user experience.

In terms of market positioning, this type of sovereign public chain approach is being explored by an increasing number of regions. It can leverage the settlement efficiency of blockchain while maintaining control over local monetary policies and compliance frameworks. Especially now, as stablecoins become an important tool for cross-border payments, South Korea, as an active market for Web3 innovation, finds this kind of attempt strategically significant.