- Companies will be limited to investing no more than 5% of their capital.
- Only tokens ranked highest by market capitalization on major regulated exchanges will be eligible.
- The inclusion of stablecoins remains under regulatory discussion.
South Korea is preparing to reopen its digital asset market to corporate funds, marking a major shift after nearly a decade of strict limits.
Financial regulators are revising long-standing rules that have barred companies from holding crypto assets since 2017, a prohibition initially driven by anti-money laundering concerns 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 policy reset as Seoul seeks to strengthen its digital finance ecosystem while managing risks through robust safeguards.
Institutional access and returns
According to the Financial Services Commission (FSC), legal entities would be permitted to invest up to 5% of their capital in digital assets.
The information was reported by Seoul Economic Daily.
Regulators expect to publish the final guidelines in January or February.
Once finalized, companies will be able to engage in virtual currency transactions for investment and financial purposes, ending a nine-year ban.
The FSC first outlined a phased easing of corporate crypto rules in February 2025 and shared the latest draft with a crypto task force on January 6.
The guidance reflects a gradual, controlled opening rather than a wholesale liberalization.
Strict asset limits
The planned framework sets clear limits on where and how companies may invest.
Corporate purchases would be restricted to the top 20 crypto assets by market capitalization, narrowing exposure to widely traded, more liquid tokens.
Transactions would be confined to South Korea’s five largest regulated exchanges, reinforcing regulatory standards and compliance.
The treatment of dollar-pegged stablecoins remains unresolved.
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 and market risks that prompted the original ban.
Anticipated market impact
Reopening institutional access could unlock substantial capital flows into the crypto market.
Seoul Economic Daily noted that potential investments could reach tens of trillions of won.
The report highlighted Naver, the internet giant, which holds roughly 27 trillion won in assets.
Under the proposed cap, a single company could theoretically deploy funds equivalent to about 10,000 bitcoins.
Beyond direct market inflows, the change could alter corporate strategies.
Previously, major South Korean firms invested in digital assets overseas to avoid domestic restrictions.
Relaxing local rules may redirect that activity back home, supporting blockchain startups, digital asset custody, and related infrastructure.
Broader digital currency strategy
The corporate crypto changes accompany a wider push on digital currencies.
The government has drafted plans to process 25% of national treasury transactions through a central bank digital currency (CBDC) 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 be required to maintain 100% reserve backing and provide legally guaranteed redemption rights for users.
These measures indicate South Korea is aiming to incorporate crypto assets, stablecoins, and a CBDC into a unified regulatory framework rather than treating them as separate experiments.