[Edaily Marketin KIM YEON-SEO Reporter] “The physical gold-linked asset (RWA) market is a sector that has only just begun to take off. Although Lion Asset is still a small startup, we aim to expand into a global financial infrastructure that allows for 24-hour gold trading and generates returns even during the holding period.”

Yoon Yu-chan, CEO of Lion Asset, made these remarks in a recent interview with E-Daily. Lion Asset is pursuing a gold RWA business that converts physical gold into blockchain-based digital assets and connects them to demand for custody, trading, and leveraged investments.

CEO Yoon said, “Gold is a safe-haven asset recognized worldwide, but simply holding it does not generate cash flow such as interest or dividends,” adding, “Gold can become a ‘working asset’ that generates returns, moving beyond being merely a store of value.”

“Infrastructure for Transferring Economic Value”…Focus on Blockchain

Lion Asset is an RWA tokenization startup that converts real-world assets, such as gold, into blockchain-based digital financial assets. CEO Yoon, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), gained experience in initial public offerings (IPOs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory at Samjung KPMG and Deloitte Anjin. Afterward, through roles at a venture capital (VC) firm, as CFO of the virtual asset exchange Probit, and as head of the Crypto Task Force (TFT) at ITCEN Group, he came to focus on blockchain-based financial infrastructure and the tokenization of physical gold assets.

CEO Yoon explained, “At first, I only had a superficial understanding of why blockchain was so significant,” adding, “But the more I looked into it, the clearer its essence became. Because multiple participants simultaneously verify and maintain the same ledger, it serves as an infrastructure that allows economic value to be safely exchanged.”

This is also why Lion Asset focused on gold among various physical assets. While gold is a quintessential safe-haven asset, trading it in physical form comes with significant constraints. It incurs costs for storage, transportation, customs clearance, and security. Furthermore, unlike deposits or bonds, simply holding gold does not generate cash flow.

CEO Yoon said, “Gold is a safe-haven asset recognized worldwide, but it is a heavy and inefficient asset to trade in physical form.” He added, “A massive amount of gold assets are largely sitting idle. We want to transform gold from a mere holding into an asset that can generate returns.”

“Turning

Idle Gold into a Working Asset”

The model envisioned by Lion Asset connects gold holders with participants looking to invest in the direction of gold prices. When holders of gold-linked assets supply liquidity to a deposit pool, participants seeking to invest in rising or falling gold prices can utilize it. Gold holders can expect returns in exchange for providing liquidity, while investors gain 24-hour trading opportunities based on gold prices.

CEO Yoon emphasized, “The important thing isn’t simply putting gold on the blockchain,” adding, “The key is what we can do with the gold once it’s there.” He continued, “Some investors expect gold prices to rise, while others expect them to fall,” explaining, “They need liquidity to trade, and Lion Asset’s model enables gold holders to provide that liquidity and receive compensation in return.”

Lion Asset recently completed a proof of concept (PoC) on the Ethereum Seporia testnet, implementing features such as staking for gold-backed assets, swap pools, and leverage vaults. While this was not based on actual asset staking or the issuance of specific tokens, the company explained that it confirmed the potential to connect gold to blockchain-based financial infrastructure.

CEO Yoon stated, “This PoC is the first step in confirming the potential for gold assets to integrate with digital financial infrastructure,” adding, “We are now at the stage where we must move beyond testing and prepare to launch an actual service.”

Lion Asset Aims to Build Global Gold Trading Infrastructure

However

,

the most critical factor in the RWA business is the existence of physical assets. Market trust can only be gained by transparently proving that tokens are linked to actual gold reserves. CEO Yoon also viewed proof-of-reserves, custody, and verification systems as the core of commercialization.

“The most important factor in gold tokenization is whether the actual gold exists,” CEO Yoon said. “We must issue tokens only up to the amount of gold we hold and transparently verify those reserves.” He added, “We will expand our business while strictly adhering to the regulatory framework and investor protection measures.”

Lion Asset plans to fully launch its gold RWA business by securing investment and expanding partnerships. In the long term, the company aims to go beyond the domestic market and link its gold tokenization projects and infrastructure with major global hubs such as Asia and the United States.

CEO Yoon remarked, “If gold tokens were traded only within South Korea, there wouldn’t be much reason to use blockchain,” adding, “The strength of blockchain lies in its ability to enable real-time global payments and settlements.” He stated, “Ultimately, our goal is to create a global gold trading infrastructure where gold assets from around the world can be traded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”