South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has lifted the ban on corporate investments in cryptocurrencies, with final regulations due in January or February. Under the draft framework, legal entities may allocate up to 5% of shareholder equity to coins within the top 20 by market capitalization. Investments will be permitted only through the country’s five largest regulated exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit, INEX, and Coinone. Stablecoins are not yet included in this list, a decision on them will be made later.
The government had banned such investments in 2017 amid concerns about money laundering. Analysts from Seoul Economic Daily estimate that more than 3,500 corporations could enter the market, bringing tens of trillions of won in fresh capital. Within the 5% limit, firms could theoretically acquire roughly 10,000 BTC. The move could accelerate the rollout of a national stablecoin and expedite the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Opening corporate access could boost the development of local crypto firms, blockchain startups, and the domestic DAT sector, while encouraging broader domestic investments in digital assets. Previously, major South Korean corporations had to rely on foreign jurisdictions to engage in cryptocurrency investments. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court recognized the legality of seizing bitcoins from exchange wallets in criminal cases.
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