South Korea | Crypto

The Bank of Korea has warned of depegging threats for won-denominated stablecoins, questioning if private issuers can ensure trust and pointing to past stablecoin failures. The post Stablecoin Fear Spreads: South Korea’s Central Bank Warns of Depeg Threat, Urges Bank Safeguards appeared first on Cryptonews.

South Korea reportedly flagged a record 36,684 suspicious crypto transactions in 2025, surpassing the combined total of the past two years. South Korean authorities have reportedly flagged a record number of suspicious crypto transactions this year, with the total already surpassing the combined numbers of the past two years.  Citing Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) data provided to Representative Jin Sung-joon and the Korea Customs Service (KCS) statistics, Yonhap News reported that local virtual asset service providers (VASPs) filed 36,684 suspicious transaction reports (STRs) between January and August 2025.  STRs are one of South Korea’s core Anti-Money Laundering (AML) tools. Under the country’s laws, financial institutions, casinos and VASPs must file STRs when they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the funds involve criminal proceeds, money laundering or terrorist financing.  Read more

Bitplanet, South Korea’s first institutional Bitcoin treasury company, has completed the full acquisition of SGA Co. Ltd. through a $50 million deal, according to a Sept. 11 statement shared with CryptoSlate. The transaction marks the conclusion of a 62% takeover of SGA by an international investor consortium, underscoring a growing push to formalize Bitcoin holdings […] The post South Korea’s Bitplanet eyes top Bitcoin 10 holder status with $50M SGA acquisition appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Worldcoin just ripped through a year-long resistance with its biggest volume candle ever, fueled by Upbit — South Korea’s largest exchange — listing WLD. That listing opens up major exposure to Asia’s massive crypto market and expands global liquidity, which has analysts rolling out fresh Worldcoin price prediction targeting higher levels ahead.On fundamentals, adoption is […] The post Worldcoin Price Prediction: South Korea’s Largest Exchange Lists WLD – Could This Trigger a Global Breakout? appeared first on Cryptonews.

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission introduced new rules for crypto lending, banning leveraged loans, capping interest at 20% and restricting use to the top coins. South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) set new rules for crypto lending. The FSC said on Friday that interest on crypto lending is now capped at 20% in South Korea, and leveraged lending is not allowed. Crypto lending is restricted to the top 20 tokens by market capitalization or those listed on at least three won-based exchanges. The new rules follow late July reports that South Korea’s financial regulators had plans to release guidelines on cryptocurrency lending services to tighten oversight and protect investors. The move also followed the introduction of leveraged lending services by local crypto exchanges. Read more

Lee Eok-won, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission chief nominee, dismissed cryptocurrency as highly volatile and lacking intrinsic value. Lee Eok-won, the nominee for chairman of South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC), has made harshly critical remarks about cryptocurrency. According to a Monday report by local news outlet News1, Lee said that “crypto has extreme price volatility, lacks monetary function” and has “no intrinsic value.” He also wrote in answers questions submitted by lawmakers ahead of his confirmation hearing that “virtual assets differ from traditional financial products like deposits and securities in that they have no intrinsic value.” Lee explained that the volatility of cryptocurrencies makes it hard to imagine them acting as a store of value or medium of exchange. The report notes that the remarks attracted criticism from South Korea’s crypto industry. Read more

Seoul’s Cyber Investigation Unit has arrested 16 suspects after a syndicate stole $28.1M from 258 high-profile Koreans, including BTS’s Jungkook, by breaching sites and opening fraudulent phone lines. The post BTS Star Jungkook Targeted as Hackers Steal $28.1M from South Korea’s Elite appeared first on Cryptonews.

Japan and South Korea are moving quickly to create clearer rules for stablecoins as global interest in digital currencies grows. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to hold steady value by linking to fiat currencies, commodities, or other assets. Their use in payments, trading, and DeFi has expanded rapidly, with forecasts suggesting the market could grow into […] The post Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea advance stablecoin regulatory efforts appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The FSC will introduce a bill that’s expected to provide guidelines on issuance, collateral management and internal control systems for stablecoins. South Korea is reportedly preparing to introduce a regulatory framework for a won-backed stablecoin, with its financial regulator set to introduce a government bill in October. On Monday, South Korean news portal MoneyToday reported that the Financial Services Commission (FSC) will unveil the bill as part of a second phase of the nation’s Virtual Asset User Protection Act. Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Representative Park Min-kyu said during a policy debate that he received a briefing from the FSC on the policy direction on stablecoins. “The government bill is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly around October,” Park said.  Read more

Jeju City, in the South Korean island province of Jeju, has completed a crypto-themed investigation of almost 3,000 residents with unpaid tax bills, seizing Bitcoin (BTC) and other coins from dozens of individuals. The post South Korea’s Jeju Wraps Crypto Probe of Almost 3,000 Tax Evaders, Seizes Coins appeared first on Cryptonews.

XRP is gaining renewed traction in Asia, driven by fresh institutional interest and infrastructure developments in South Korea and Japan, two of the region’s key crypto hubs. This resurgence comes as the token’s price has remained relatively bound around the $3 mark over the past month, coinciding with the continued expansion of the XRP Ledger’s […] The post Institutional interest boosts XRP’s resurgence in South Korea and Japan appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Tether’s USDT supply has increased by $26 billion in 2025, pushing its market cap to $163.6 billion as global demand for stablecoin grows. Stablecoin-issuer Tether has become the 18th-largest holder of United States Treasurys globally, surpassing the holdings of South Korea, according to a recent attestation report.  On Thursday, Tether said in its attestation report for the second quarter of 2025 that it holds $127 billion in US Treasury bills. The company said it has $105.5 billion in direct US Treasury exposure and $21.3 billion held indirectly.  Tether’s current holdings show a $7 billion increase from the first quarter. On May 19, the stablecoin issuer reported having $120 billion in T-bills, overtaking Germany’s holdings to take the 19th spot.  Read more

The guidelines are expected to cover leverage limits, user eligibility and risk disclosures for crypto lending activities. South Korea’s financial regulators plan to release guidelines on cryptocurrency lending services next month in an effort to tighten oversight and protect investors amid growing concerns over leveraged crypto products. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on Thursday announced the formation of a joint task force to develop a regulatory framework for crypto lending, according to local media Yonhap News Agency (YNA). The move follows new lending services introduced by South Korean exchanges Upbit and Bithumb. According to YNA, Bithumb has allowed users to borrow as much as four times their collateral, while Upbit has offered loans worth up to 80% of users’ asset value. Read more

Stablecoin ATMs launch in South Korea for tourists, as regulators continue to weigh rules on broader stablecoin use.

South Korea’s rival stablecoin bills hint at a divide over regulation as the country seeks a stronger foothold in the global crypto market.

Lawmakers from South Korea’s two biggest political parties have unveiled stablecoin bills. The bills’ authors concur on many points, but interest payment plans appear to be a sticking point. The post South Korea’s Biggest Parties Roll Out Stablecoin Bills, Clash on Interest Payment Plans appeared first on Cryptonews.

The South Korean commercial banking giant Shinhan Bank has launched a range of crypto services on its SOL smartphone app. The post South Korea’s Shinhan Launches Crypto Services on Its Banking App appeared first on Cryptonews.

Four US-dollar stablecoin issuers hold roughly $182 billion in US Treasury bills, an amount that would slot them 17th on the Treasury Department’s country-by-country league table. The amount in overnight Treasury-collateralized repos and Treasury-heavy money market funds would put the group between Norway’s $195.9 billion and Saudi Arabia’s $133.8 billion. Tether’s USDT tops the cohort. […] The post Stablecoin issuers’ $182 billion US Treasury hoard ranks 17th among countries, beating UAE and South Korea appeared first on CryptoSlate.

South Korean experts claim that the nation’s stablecoin pivot could hamper the growth of card providers, but provide a boost to domestic tech giants. The post Analysts: South Korea’s Stablecoin Pivot Will Hurt Card Companies, Boost Big Tech appeared first on Cryptonews.

South Korea’s top financial regulator is working on a detailed roadmap to support the launch of digital asset spot exchange-traded funds. According to a June 19 report by Herald Economy, the Financial Services Commission revealed the move during a policy update to the State Affairs Planning Committee. The FSC plans to roll out its proposal […] The post South Korea moves closer to spot Bitcoin ETFs as FSC explores proposal appeared first on CryptoSlate.