The value of cryptocurrency held by South Korean investors fell to 60.6 trillion won ($41.4 billion) by the end of February 2026, down from 121.8 trillion won ($83.3 billion) at the end of January 2025, The Chosun Daily reported on May 5, citing figures the Bank of Korea submitted to Rep. Cha Gyu-Geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party.
The decline reflects a combination of falling crypto asset prices and a shift of capital into domestic equity markets. Daily trading volumes across the country’s five major exchanges, Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit, Coinone and Gopax, fell to $3 billion in February 2026 from $11.6 billion in December 2024.
Won deposits held at exchanges, a measure of available investor dry powder, dropped to 7.8 trillion won ($5.3 billion) from 10.7 trillion won ($7.3 billion) at the end of 2024.
Stablecoins moved against the broader trend. Holdings climbed to $597 million in December 2025 from $60 million in July 2024. They eased to $41 million by February 2026, a decline far smaller in relative terms than the drop seen across the wider crypto market.
South Korean financial authorities plan to implement revised Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules in August 2026.
Under the proposal, crypto transactions above 10 million won (around $6,840) involving overseas exchanges or private wallets would be automatically flagged as suspicious.
Industry body DAXA has opposed the measure, arguing it is disproportionate and could push domestic users toward offshore platforms.
Source: X.com
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