Seoul: A consortium led by Nextrade (NXT), South Korea's alternative stock trading platform, announced plans to establish a market for fractional investment trading services by the fourth quarter of 2026. The initiative aims to revolutionize investment opportunities by allowing investors to trade fractions of assets.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) granted preliminary licenses to two consortia, including one led by NXT and another by the KDX consortium, to operate an over-the-counter trading platform for fractional investments. This approval marks a significant step towards offering investors the chance to buy and sell portions of various assets such as stocks, real estate, and artwork.

However, local startup Lucentblock, which specializes in fractional investment trades in the real estate sector, did not receive a preliminary license. The FSC highlighted the startup's weak capital strength and inadequate conflict-of-interest controls as reasons for the decision.

Lucentblock has expressed discontent over the outcome, describing it as unfair, given its pioneering status in the fractional investment trading industry. The startup has been operating under a government regulatory sandbox project for years. Additionally, Lucentblock has filed a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission, accusing NXT of misappropriating key and undisclosed information during a non-disclosure agreement for a potential investment review prior to the FSC's license evaluation.