Deep Dive
1. Domestic Regulatory Progress & PCI Relaunch (2026)
Overview: The core near-term priority is completing a change in business model mandated by South Korean financial authorities. According to a March 2023 announcement, PayProtocol (Paycoin's operator) is in communication with regulators and banks to secure a bank account and report the new model (Paycoin Blog). Once approved, this will allow the domestic service to resume PCI payments for its existing network of ~150,000 merchants, alongside continuing support for other major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH.
What this means: This is bullish for PCI because regulatory clarity and banking integration are critical for sustainable growth in its primary market, potentially unlocking renewed utility and demand from Korean users and merchants. The risk is that regulatory timelines are uncertain and could delay progress.
2. Global Market Expansion to Singapore, Japan, UAE (2026)
Overview: Paycoin plans to launch its PCI payment service sequentially in international markets, starting with Singapore, Japan, and the UAE. The company has already secured a Swiss license for European operations and formed strategic partnerships with local licensed firms like "Triple A" in Singapore and "UNIVA Paycast Ltd." in Japan to facilitate this expansion (Paycoin Blog).
What this means: This is bullish for PCI as it diversifies the user base beyond South Korea and taps into new payment ecosystems, which could significantly increase transaction volume and adoption. The bearish risk is that executing in multiple regulatory jurisdictions is complex and resource-intensive.
3. PayProtocol Layer 2 Development (Long-term)
Overview: The long-term technical vision involves developing a PayProtocol Layer 2 blockchain. This aims to solve the chronic issues of high fees and slow speeds on Layer 1 networks by connecting Paycoin's merchant and payment infrastructure to external blockchains, specifically for real-life payments (Paycoin Blog).
What this means: This is neutral-to-bullish for PCI as a successful L2 could greatly enhance network scalability and utility, making it more competitive for daily payments. However, as a long-term, technically complex project with no firm deadline, its impact is uncertain and far off.
Conclusion
Paycoin's trajectory is firmly focused on cementing its role in real-world payments, with immediate steps tied to Korean regulatory progress and international growth, supported by a long-term scalability vision. How will the completion of its new business model impact merchant adoption and PCI's utility in the coming months?