- Laws and Regulations
- Cryptocurrency Exchanges in South Korea
- Current Market Situation
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced plans to crack down on cryptocurrency exchanges across the country. This marks the first big move under the new Virtual Asset Users Protection Act.
Laws and Regulations
This law packs a serious punch, including life sentences for those who illegally rake in more than 5 billion won (about $3.7 million). South Korea’s exchanges collectively represent about 5% of the global cryptocurrency trading volume.
Cryptocurrency Exchanges in South Korea
Altogether, the country hosts four major won-based exchanges: Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit. Beyond those, the FSS will also be scrutinizing three more exchanges and one cryptocurrency wallet provider. Upbit controls roughly 83% of the total trading volume, with Bithumb at second place with 13%, while Coinone and Korbit each hold around 1.1%.
Current Market Situation
The surge in activity is partly due to the renewed interest in crypto after the recent changes in regulations. High trading volumes in South Korea are largely driven by retail investors, who are known for their active trading strategies and interest in altcoins. In contrast, markets like the U.S. see more institutional trading. The total daily trading volume across all cryptocurrency exchanges is approximately $20 billion. Binance leads with a daily trading volume of about $7.29 billion. Binance has reported holding approximately $92.7 billion in total assets across its platform, including various cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. Coinbase’s reserves are estimated at around $30 billion, primarily in Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The tighter controls on cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea aim to ensure user safety and prevent illegal activities. The new law reflects the regulators' serious intentions to maintain order in the cryptocurrency market.
