South Korea moves to reopen corporate crypto investing after long freeze

• Companies would be limited to investing up to 5% of their equity capital.
• Only top market cap tokens on major regulated exchanges would be eligible.
• Stablecoin inclusion remains under regulatory discussion.

South Korea is preparing to reopen its digital asset market to corporate money, marking a major shift after nearly a decade of tight restrictions.

Financial regulators are updating long-standing guidelines that have barred companies from holding crypto assets since 2017, a period defined by concerns over money laundering and market instability.

The proposed changes would allow listed companies and professional investors to allocate a limited portion of their balance sheets to cryptocurrencies.

The move signals a recalibration of policy as Seoul seeks to strengthen its digital finance ecosystem while keeping risks contained through strict guardrails.

Corporate access returns

According to a report by the Financial Services Commission, legal entities will be permitted to invest up to 5% of their equity capital in crypto assets.

The information was reported by the Seoul Economic Daily.

Regulators are expected to release the final version of the guidelines in January or February.

Once in place, companies will be able to engage in virtual currency transactions for investment and financial purposes, ending a nine-year prohibition.

The FSC first outlined a phased easing of corporate crypto rules in February 2025 and shared the latest draft with its crypto working group on Jan. 6.

The approach reflects a gradual opening rather than a wholesale liberalisation.

Tight limits on assets

The planned framework places clear limits on where and how companies can invest.

Corporate purchases will be restricted to the top 20 crypto assets by market capitalisation, narrowing exposure to the most liquid and widely traded tokens.

Transactions will also be confined to South Korea’s five largest regulated exchanges, reinforcing oversight and compliance standards.

The inclusion of dollar-pegged stablecoins remains unresolved.

The report said regulators are still debating whether assets such as Tether’s USDT should be permitted under the new rules.

These conditions are designed to address the same financial crime risks that prompted the original ban, while recognising that the domestic market has matured since 2017.

Market impact expectations

The reopening of corporate access could unlock significant capital flows into crypto markets.

Seoul Economic Daily noted that the scale of potential investment runs into tens of trillions of won.

By way of illustration, the report pointed to internet giant Naver, which holds around 27 trillion won in equity capital.

Under the proposed cap, the company could theoretically deploy funds equivalent to roughly 10,000 Bitcoin.

Beyond direct market inflows, the change could alter corporate strategy.

Large South Korean firms have previously invested in digital assets overseas to avoid domestic restrictions.

Easing local rules may redirect that activity back home, supporting blockchain startups, digital asset treasuries, and related infrastructure.

Broader digital currency strategy

The corporate crypto shift sits alongside a wider push into digital currencies.

The government has outlined plans to execute 25% of national treasury transactions through a central bank digital currency by 2030 as part of its 2026 Economic Growth Strategy.

The government also plans to introduce a licensing regime for stablecoin issuers.

Under the proposal, issuers would need to maintain 100% reserve backing and provide legally guaranteed redemption rights for users.

Together, these measures suggest South Korea is seeking to integrate crypto assets, stablecoins, and a CBDC into a single regulatory framework rather than treating them as isolated experiments.