A boutique law firm focused on digital assets.

We combine legal advice with policy engagement and advocacy, from formation, registration and licensing to regulatory response, disputes and restructuring.

Contact Practice areas
Lotte World TowerSeoul, Korea
Digital assetsLaw, policy & advocacy
English · KoreanWorking languages
01The Firm

The Firm

AXIS Law is a boutique law firm focused on digital assets. Our Managing Attorney has handled matters at each stage of a digital-asset business: formation, VASP registration, regulatory response, disputes and restructuring.

Injunction against a deposit suspensionInjunction against a bank's suspension of deposits to a virtual asset exchange (2018, handled by Nathaniel Kim before AXIS Law)
Full lifecycleFrom formation and registration to rehabilitation and bankruptcy
Foreign counsel coordinationUS, Hong Kong, Singapore, EU, Australia, Japan, Middle East
Graduate teachingDongguk University Graduate School of Law · Hanyang University MBA
National Assembly seminarsPresentations at 2026 National Assembly seminars on stablecoins and tokenization
02Our Approach

Law, Policy & Advocacy

AXIS Law combines legal advice with policy engagement and advocacy. We track bills and draft rules as they develop and review clients' structures against the published texts.

Law

Legal Advice

Regulatory review and legal opinions, licensing and filings, contracts and deal structures, disputes and investigations.

Policy

Policy & Regulatory Response

Analysis of bills and proposed rules, review of regulators' published guidance and statements, and review of controls and structures before rules take effect.

Advocacy

Taking Part in Rulemaking

Policy proposals at industry association and National Assembly forums, comments on proposed rules, and media commentary.

Market Entry

Korea entry for global operators, in this order: regulatory analysis, entity and registration or licensing structure, legal review of arrangements with banks, VASPs and payment gateways, and regulatory engagement.

Legislative Tracking

We follow the Digital Asset Basic Act bill, rulemaking under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act and related developments, map which obligations would apply to a client and from when, and review contracts, controls and structures against the published texts.

Status of legislation as of 19 October 2026.

03Practice Areas

Practice Areas

01

AML & Regulatory

AML frameworks and supervisory response under the Specified Financial Information Act, the Electronic Financial Transactions Act and the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.

Read more
02

Cross-Border

Korea entry for global operators, and overseas licensing for Korean companies through local counsel in each jurisdiction.

Read more
03

Transactions & New Business

Token-related M&A and investment, real-world asset tokenization, and stablecoin payment structures.

04

Restructuring & Insolvency

Corporate rehabilitation and bankruptcy, creditor representation, and cross-border distressed asset transactions.

04Focus · AML & Regulatory

AML & Regulatory

Payments

Under FSS administrative guidance on virtual account resale by payment gateways (행2026-61001, in force from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027), PGs that resell virtual accounts must apply their customer due diligence and suspicious transaction reporting duties under the AML Act to the merchants that receive those accounts.

Foreign Exchange

The amended Foreign Exchange Transactions Act (Act No. 21714, promulgated 2 June 2026) requires virtual asset transfer businesses to register (Article 8-2) and takes effect on 3 December 2026. The draft Enforcement Decree was pre-announced on 7 October 2026.

Virtual Assets

AML frameworks and the travel rule under the Specified Financial Information Act. Depending on its structure, a stablecoin payment business can fall under all three regimes at once.

AXIS Law reviews all three regimes as one.

Nathaniel Kim teaches digital asset law at Dongguk University Graduate School of Law and AML in the Hanyang University MBA program.

Regulatory statements as of 19 October 2026.

06Policy Platform

Policy Platform

Our Managing Attorney presented at the National Assembly stablecoin seminar on 12 May 2026 and at the National Assembly RWA tokenization seminar on 28 September 2026.

May 122026

2026 Global Stablecoin Trends and Opportunities for Korea's Digital Economy

National Assembly Members' Office Building · Speakers included Tether, First Digital and Ripple

Sep 282026

Post-STO Era: Legislative Tasks for RWA Tokenization

National Assembly Library Auditorium · Keynote by the Managing Attorney

Writing
  • Co-author, Tokenization (2026)
  • Column series on global regulation, Monthly Financial World (월간 금융계), 2026
  • Columns, Edaily, 2026
See more →
토큰화 (Tokenization) book cover
The Book
Tokenization

The new language for the future of finance.

Co-authored by Yoon Hyun Keun (INSIGHT3), Nathaniel Kim and Timothy Shin. pazit, 2026.

Get the book on Kyobo
In the Press

The argument, in the national conversation.

AXIS Law takes part in Korea's digital-asset debate in the press and in policy forums. A selection.

Maeil Business
March 21, 2026 · Interview
Korea's locked-down crypto: a 160-trillion-won exodus becomes real
A feature interview with Nathaniel Kim, Managing Attorney, on the capital exodus and the cost of control over connection.
Read
EDaily · Op-ed
Apr-May 2026 · Series
11.13 million Koreans invest in crypto, yet Korea has no basic law
Nathaniel Kim's contributed columns in EDaily's series on Korea's digital-asset legislative gap.
Read
EDaily · National Assembly
May 2026 · Seminar
At the National Assembly: capital concentrates where stablecoin rules come first
Nathaniel Kim presented at the National Assembly stablecoin seminar, alongside global stablecoin and exchange leaders.
Read
Selected coverage
EDaily · May 2026
The Digital Asset Basic Act bill: a four-part roundtable
TokenPost · 2026
Tokenization: a series adapted from the book
EDaily · Jul 2025
KWBA launches; Nathaniel Kim joins as a director
Newstap · Aug 2025
KWBA manifesto, co-drafted by Nathaniel Kim: blockchain as trust infrastructure
EDaily · May 2026
Why a crypto-only 22% tax draws fire as a petition nears 50,000
All columns and coverage (in Korean) →
07Clients & Partners

Clients & Partners

Through its working arrangement with INSIGHT3, AXIS Law advises on projects involving the following global operators and Korean partners.

Global
First DigitalIssuer of FDUSD
SumsubGlobal KYC / AML
TetherIssuer of USDT
TRONBlockchain network
RippleGlobal payments network
Terminal 3DID and data infrastructure
Korea
WavebridgeKoFIU-registered VASP
KORDAITCEN Global · gold-backed token
ParametaOn-chain identity infrastructure
CREDERGold RWA

Ongoing engagements are described only to the extent permitted by contract.

Selected matters

Advised a global stablecoin issuer on Korea market entry and registration strategy.

Structured a gold-backed real-world-asset token for cross-border settlement.

Counseled a public blockchain network on its Korea regulatory positioning.

Represented creditors in a digital-asset rehabilitation proceeding.

08Our Team

Our Team

Nathaniel Kim (김태림)
Nathaniel KimKim Tae-rim
Managing Attorney
BarKorea (2018)
Secretary General, KWBA · Adjunct Professor, Dongguk University Graduate School of Law · Adjunct Professor, Hanyang University MBA (AML)

Selected Experience

  • VASP registration and AML frameworks
  • Injunction against a bank's suspension of deposits to a virtual asset exchange (2018, prior firm)
  • Fintech, MyData and regulatory sandbox advice
  • Rehabilitation M&A and creditor representation
  • Korea entry reviews for stablecoin and KYC companies

Activities

  • Former Advisory Committee Member, Korea Blockchain Association (2022)
  • Former Legal Advisor, Korea Digital Asset Industry Association (2022)
  • Presentation on VASP money-laundering risk assessment (2021)
  • Co-author, Tokenization (2026) · Columnist, Edaily and Monthly Financial World

Education

  • J.D., Kyungpook National University School of Law (2018)
  • B.Eng., Hanyang University (2010)
Timothy Shin (티모시 신)
Timothy Shin
Foreign Attorney
BarAdmitted in California (USA)
Head of International Cooperation, KWBA · Also with INSIGHT3 Inc.

INSIGHT3 is a separate strategy advisory firm, not a law firm, and does not provide legal services. Legal services are provided solely by AXIS Law.

Selected Experience

  • 20+ years as a US attorney in cross-border transactions
  • Foreign attorney, Yulchon (2006-2009)
  • Coordinates foreign counsel in seven regions

Activities

  • Co-author, Tokenization (2026)
  • Cross-border transactions · policy advocacy
  • Digital assets · structured finance
  • Venture capital · AI and data

Education

  • J.D., Cardozo School of Law
  • B.A., University of Southern California

AXIS Law and INSIGHT3

AXIS works alongside INSIGHT3, an affiliated strategy advisory firm that shares some of our principals.

INSIGHT3 is a separate strategy advisory firm, not a law firm, and does not provide legal services. Legal services are provided solely by AXIS Law.

INSIGHT3
Strategic advisory for digital assets, tokenization, and AI-driven payments. Operators, not consultants. A separate firm, not a law firm.
Visit INSIGHT3