Naver plans to scrap 1 trillion won in treasury stock as it pivots toward crypto and fintech

Naver Corp., the company that essentially runs South Korea’s internet, is preparing to buy back approximately 1 trillion won (roughly $745 million) in treasury stock. For context, that’s more than double the size of its 2024 buyback program, and it sends a pretty clear signal about how management views its own valuation right now. The move matters beyond traditional equity markets because Naver is simultaneously engineering one of the most ambitious fintech pivots in Asian tech history, one that runs directly through the heart of crypto infrastructure. A pattern of aggressive buybacks This isn’t Naver’s first time reaching for the share repurchase lever. In 2024, the company planned to buy back and cancel shares worth 400 billion won, roughly $306 million. The year before that, Naver executed a buyback of 1.64 million shares valued at approximately 305.3 billion won. Naver’s CEO has apparently been putting personal money where the corporate strategy is, purchasing 700 million won worth of shares. When the person running the company is buying stock with their own paycheck, it tends to get investors’ attention. The Dunamu connection is where it gets interesting for crypto Here’s the ...