Hashed Open Finance, a subsidiary of South Korea–based crypto venture capital firm Hashed, has introduced the concept of a new Layer 1 blockchain called Maroo. The proposed network is intended to support the country’s emerging stablecoin economy by prioritizing regulatory compliance alongside blockchain openness. Maroo is positioned as part of South Korea’s broader digital finance transformation, with a focus on building infrastructure that aligns with national financial standards.
The blockchain is designed to address a long-standing challenge in the digital asset sector: balancing the transparency and accessibility of public blockchains with the strict regulatory requirements needed for financial applications. Maroo aims to integrate smoothly with South Korea’s existing financial systems while offering safeguards related to privacy, compliance, and institutional oversight.
Stablecoins and Regulatory Alignment
Hashed’s leadership has highlighted the growing importance of stablecoins in the global financial system and has indicated that Maroo is intended to provide a strong technical foundation that remains consistent with South Korea’s regulatory framework. The company has pointed out that many widely used public blockchains, including Ethereum, offer high levels of transparency but can be difficult environments for enforcing anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements.
Maroo is designed as a response to these limitations. Its architecture seeks to support stablecoin issuance and circulation while ensuring that compliance measures can be embedded directly into transaction flows. This approach reflects Hashed’s view that future financial blockchains must be built with regulation in mind rather than treating it as an external constraint.
Dual-Path Transaction Model
One of Maroo’s defining features is its dual-path transaction structure. The network is planned to include an open path that allows unrestricted transactions, alongside a regulated path that applies identity verification requirements or transaction limits based on size and risk. This model is intended to give users flexibility while ensuring that regulated financial activity can take place within clearly defined boundaries.
By offering both paths, Maroo seeks to accommodate a wide range of use cases, from decentralized finance experimentation to enterprise-grade financial services. The design is meant to allow participants to choose the level of compliance appropriate for their activity, without fragmenting the network.
Programmable Compliance and Verifiable Privacy
A central component of the Maroo blockchain is its Programmable Compliance Layer. This system is designed to automate regulatory checks during transactions, including enforcement of transfer limits and screening against sanctions lists. The layer is also intended to be adaptable, allowing rules to be updated as regulations evolve over time.
Korea’s next economic infrastructure will be programmable — and it should be built with KRW and the AI era in mind.
KRW is more than a currency. It’s a coordination layer for the Korean economy.
And as value moves onchain and AI agents begin to transact on our behalf, the rails… pic.twitter.com/nMRH13DPzR— #Hashed (@hashed_official) January 22, 2026
In parallel, Maroo incorporates a Verifiable Privacy framework that enables selective disclosure of transaction data when required by legal or regulatory processes. This mechanism is meant to provide oversight capabilities for authorities and institutions while preserving user privacy under normal circumstances. The combination of compliance automation and controlled transparency is positioned as a key differentiator for Maroo in regulated markets.
AI Integration and Future-Proof Design
Maroo is also being developed with future technological trends in mind. The blockchain includes planned AI-related tools that can authenticate AI agents operating on the network and manage their permissions. These tools are designed to revoke access when necessary, adding an additional layer of governance and security. This feature reflects expectations that AI-driven applications will play a growing role in digital finance ecosystems.
Alignment With South Korea’s Policy Direction
The timing of Maroo’s introduction aligns with South Korea’s ongoing efforts to modernize its financial infrastructure. The country is preparing legislation for a Korean won–pegged stablecoin market under the Digital Asset Basic Act, which is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2026. In anticipation, major corporations such as KB, Naver, and Kakao have begun developing related technologies and filing patents connected to stablecoin issuance.
At the same time, policy discussions continue around who should be eligible to issue stablecoins, with some lawmakers advocating for flexible rules to support innovation. Against this backdrop, Hashed has expressed an intention to work closely with regulators, financial institutions, and technology startups to help shape a compliant digital asset ecosystem.
Implications for the Broader Market
If successfully implemented, Maroo could become a foundational layer for South Korea’s stablecoin and blockchain initiatives. Its compliance-first design offers a potential model for other jurisdictions seeking to balance innovation with regulatory oversight. Beyond domestic use, the blockchain could also serve as a reference point for markets that prioritize regulated digital finance.
Overall, Maroo represents a strategic effort by Hashed to address the practical requirements of a regulated stablecoin economy. By combining programmable compliance, privacy controls, and forward-looking AI integration, the blockchain is positioned as a potential cornerstone of South Korea’s evolving digital finance landscape.
