South Korea

Bitcoin Countries

South Korea is one of the world's largest Bitcoin trading markets, with multiple regulated domestic exchanges and consistently high trading volumes. The country has a sophisticated financial technology sector and high smartphone penetration that drives retail Bitcoin adoption. South Korea approved Bitcoin ETFs in 2025 and has developed comprehensive virtual asset regulations under the Virtual Asset User Protection Act.

Details

Since: 2024
Status: regulated_major_market
Notable: Among world's largest Bitcoin trading volumes; Virtual Asset User Protection Act (2024)
Regulator: FSC / FSS
Mining Legal: Yes
Notable Policy: South Korea has 20% crypto gains tax above 2.5M KRW threshold; major retail adoption; Upbit and Bithumb are top exchanges by volume
Btc Etf Approved: No
Regulatory Stance: cautious_friendly
Bitcoin Legal Status: Legal; regulated under FSA Virtual Currency Act; Bitcoin ETFs not yet approved for retail

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