Tether (USDT), the world's largest stablecoin issuer, is accelerating its push into the Korean market by seeking to secure trademark rights covering its corporate name and logo, signaling a deeper commitment than its previous product-level filings. With the move extending beyond mere stablecoin product names to registering the company brand itself, industry observers are watching for the possibility of Tether establishing a Korean subsidiary.
According to the financial industry on the 19th, Tether recently filed seven trademarks in Korea, including the "tether" logo and its gold-backed stablecoin "Tether Gold (XAUT)."
Until now, Tether had primarily filed Korean trademarks for its stablecoin product names, but this round carries different significance as the company is also pursuing registration of its corporate brand and logo. Industry sources interpret the move as Tether laying the groundwork to establish a business foothold in the Korean market. The analysis suggests Tether is taking pre-emptive action, given that the Digital Asset Basic Act is expected to require overseas stablecoin issuers to set up domestic branches in order to conduct distribution business in Korea.
"Circle founder Jeremy Allaire recently visited Korea in person to meet with financial holding companies and cryptocurrency exchanges to discuss potential partnerships," a cryptocurrency industry official said. "It appears that Tether and Circle, the two global stablecoin giants, are competing to gain a foothold in the Korean market even ahead of formal regulation."
