South Korea Greenlights Expanded Crypto Access for Professional Investors

• Kim Sung-jin (head of the Financial Services Commission) clarified that there’s no objection to overseas firms opening crypto accounts if they are properly registered as professional investors in South Korea
• At the start of June, nonprofits and universities were already allowed to convert crypto donations under strict compliance and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer) rules
• A few months ago, it was reported that over 16 million South Koreans (roughly 32% of the population) hold crypto accounts across exchanges

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) will roll out a two-phase regulatory framework in the latter half of 2025 that expands crypto market eligibility to corporations and professional investors in the digital asset market.

Kim Sung-jin (head of the FSC) clarified that while the initial regulatory framework primarily addressed domestic companies and didn’t specifically cover foreign entities, there’s no objection to overseas firms opening crypto accounts if they are properly registered as professional investors in South Korea.

He also noted that nonprofits and universities were already allowed to convert crypto donations under strict compliance and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer) rules from the beginning of June.

New rules to open the door for 3,500 companies

It was reported previously that in the second half of 2025, up to 3,500 public companies and registered professional investor firms can open real-name accounts and trade crypto if they meet asset thresholds, such as having at least 5 to 10 billion KRW (South Korean won) or more in financial investments.

All of this marks a notable change as South Korea is now shifting away from its past restrictive policies, including the ban on corporate and fund crypto trading in place since 2017. The country is now embracing institutional participation and falling in line with worldwide trends.

South Korea and crypto

The country is becoming quite the crypto powerhouse in Asia. For instance, at the end of the last year, it was reported that almost 16 million South Koreans (roughly 30% of the population) hold crypto accounts across exchanges like Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX. That number now exceeds traditional stock investors which are estimated around 14 million.

Additionally, daily cryptocurrency trading volume often surpasses stock market activity, at times exceeding $12 billion per day.

When it comes to stablecoins, the Bank of Korea (BoK) is cautiously supportive of won‑backed stablecoins, recommending a gradual rollout starting with commercial banks. It seems that the main concern includes the impact on foreign exchange and monetary policy.

Several weeks ago, President Lee Jae-myung and his administration proposed legislation to allow companies with as little as ₩500 million in equity to issue won‑pegged stablecoins.

All in all, it looks like South Korea is making one of the most substantial policy pivots in Asia, shifting from retail-only to an institutional-friendly crypto regime. This will likely increase market depth, attract capital, and help legitimize crypto.