Lacking Consumer Enthusiasm in Early Trials

The Daiso integration represents a significant milestone for South Korea’s CBDC program, which has faced several challenges so far. During the initial trials involving brick-and-mortar stores such as Kyobo Book Centre, 7-Eleven, and Ediya Coffee, alongside the digital wallet app Ddangyo, approximately 42% of converted deposit tokens were utilized. Roughly half of these transactions took place via Shinhan Bank’s Ddangyo platform.

This limited consumer interest, combined with the operational costs, prompted the Bank of Korea to pause further CBDC pilots and explore issuing a won-backed stablecoin instead.

Understanding Token Flows at Daiso

The new round of trials involving Daiso could offer valuable insights into how deposit tokens are used. Bank of Korea officials highlighted that the frequent, small-ticket purchases made at Daiso may provide useful data on consumer behavior and token circulation patterns.

Specifically, these smaller transactions might help regulators better understand how digital currency flows through the economy and what kind of impact it could have on everyday retail activities.