#SouthKoreaCryptoPolicy

🇰🇷 South Korea Crypto Policy 2025 – Snapshot

1. Registration & Real-Name Accounts

• All crypto exchanges and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) must register with the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (under the FSC) and enforce real-name bank accounts  .

2. Investor Protections (Virtual Asset User Protection Act)

• Enacted July 2024. Requires exchanges to keep 80%+ of user funds in cold wallets, hold reserve liquidity and insurance, and adhere to strict custody separation .

3. Anti-Money Laundering & Crypto Crime

• AML laws (Special Financial Information Act, 2021) and a crypto-crime task force mandate LEIs, enforce transaction tracking, and enable heavy penalties for manipulation and illicit flows .

4. Institutional & Corporate Participation (2025 pilot)

• In 2025, a phased pilot allows charities, universities, government, and ~3,500 professional entities/corporates to open real‑name crypto accounts and sell assets. Exchanges can also sell their own holdings .

5. Upcoming Laws & Stablecoin Oversight

• A second regulatory framework is in development (2025 H2), targeting enhanced transparency in listings and stablecoins, including disclosure requirements and reserve rules .

6. Corporate vs. Retail Rules

• Institutions get phased access, while retail investors continue trading under real‑name system. Access to foreign unregistered exchanges is getting restricted  .

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✅ TL;DR

South Korea now treats crypto as regulated assets, not currency. It mandates registered exchanges, real-name accounts, custody rules, AML oversight, and is opening the door to institutional participation. Further clarity on stablecoins and token listings is expected later in 2025.