Quick Breakdown
- South Korea will allow listed companies and professional investors to invest up to 5% of their equity in cryptocurrencies under new regulatory guidelines.
- Corporate crypto investments will be limited to assets ranked within the top 20 by market capitalization on major domestic exchanges, with stablecoin inclusion still under review.
- Authorities expect the move to bring institutional capital into the market, supporting long-term investment and improving market stability.
South Korea is preparing to allow corporations to invest in cryptocurrencies for the first time since 2017, under new regulatory guidelines that will permit listed companies and professional investment firms to allocate up to 5% of their equity capital to digital assets.
According to financial industry sources, the Financial Services Commission has drafted corporate crypto trading guidelines and shared them with a public-private task force. The final version is expected to be released between January and February, with implementation targeted within the year. Once adopted, the policy will open the market to more than 3,500 domestic corporations previously barred from direct crypto investment.
South Korea has ended a nine-year ban on corporate cryptocurrency investments, allowing listed companies and professional investors to invest up to 5% of their equity capital in the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization on South Korea’s five major exchanges.…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 12, 2026
Investment limits and eligible assets
Under the proposed framework, corporate crypto investment will be capped at 5% of shareholders’ equity on an annual basis. Investment will be limited to cryptocurrencies ranked within the top 20 by market capitalisation, based on semi-annual disclosures from South Korea’s five major crypto exchanges. Bitcoin and Ethereum are expected to be included by default.
Regulators are still reviewing whether dollar-backed stablecoins, including USDT, will be permitted under the guidelines. To mitigate volatility and liquidity risks, crypto exchanges will be required to introduce additional safeguards, such as split trade execution and restrictions on orders that exceed predefined price ranges.
The move represents a phased reversal of the 2017 ban on corporate crypto trading, introduced amid concerns about money laundering, market overheating, and financial instability.
Institutional entry and market impact
Authorities expect the policy shift to channel significant institutional capital into the domestic crypto market, which remains largely dominated by retail investors. Industry data shows that while South Korea has more than 10 million crypto investors, corporate participation has been minimal, with much of the institutional capital flowing to overseas markets.
The reopening of corporate access is also expected to support the development of related digital asset products, including won-denominated stablecoins and potential spot crypto exchange-traded funds. Meanwhile, South Korea’s most prominent financial holding companies are accelerating their push into the stablecoin market.
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