🇰🇷 South Korea Ends 9-Year Corporate Crypto Ban ✨
✨ A major shift in Asia’s crypto landscape
South Korea has reportedly ended its nine-year ban on corporate cryptocurrency investments, allowing listed companies and professional investors to trade digital assets for the first time since 2017.
The move, finalized by the Financial Services Commission (FSC), aligns with the government’s 2026 Economic Growth Strategy, which also includes:
🪙 Stablecoin legislation
📈 Spot crypto ETF approvals
🏢 Corporate Investment Rules
🔹 Eligible firms can invest up to 5% of equity capital annually
🔹 Investments limited to top-20 cryptocurrencies by market cap
🔹 Assets must be listed on Korea’s five major exchanges
🔹 Around 3,500 entities will gain access
⚠️ Whether USDT and other dollar-backed stablecoins qualify is still under review.
Exchanges will also face order size limits and staggered execution rules.
📊 Why This Matters
The 2017 ban pushed retail traders to nearly 100% of market activity
🇰🇷 Capital outflows hit ₩76 trillion ($52B)
By contrast, institutional trading made up 80%+ of Coinbase volume in H1 2024
The new rules could boost:
✔ Won-backed stablecoins
✔ Domestic spot Bitcoin ETFs
⚠️ Industry Concerns
Crypto firms welcome the change but argue the 5% cap is too restrictive, noting:
🇺🇸 🇯🇵 🇪🇺 🇭🇰 impose no similar limits
The rule may block the rise of Digital Asset Treasury firms like Japan’s Metaplanet
🗣️ “Over-regulating crypto could leave Korea behind,” an industry official warned.
⏳ What’s Next?
📌 Final guidelines: Jan–Feb 2026
📌 Linked to Digital Asset Basic Act (Q1 2025)
📌 Corporate crypto trading expected by year-end.
THANKYOU 🙏
