Korean domestic crypto projects continue to migrate overseas due to a regulatory gap in the ICO ban, as experts call for a basic law to clarify return standards.

According to reports from South Korean media outlet Dailian, the Digital Asset Exchange Association (DAXA) released the "2026 Digital Asset Policy Compilation." Professor Jo Jae-woo of Seoul National University pointed out that since the 2017 ICO ban, domestic crypto projects in South Korea have continuously relocated their issuing entities and operational foundations overseas due to regulatory gaps. Token issuance for Klaytn is handled by a Singaporean legal entity, while WEMIX under Wemade similarly uses a Singaporean corporation as its issuer. Subsequently, Metabora relocated to Dubai and NeoFin moved its foundation to Abu Dhabi, further exacerbating the trend of industry outflow. Experts highlighted that the regulatory disparity between domestic and foreign issuers, along with difficulties in opening corporate bank accounts, are key obstacles. They emphasized that "South Korea does not need more relaxed regulation, but clearer rules," calling on the Digital Asset Basic Act to clarify licensing standards for services such as issuance, custody, and verification, and to establish special procedures for repatriating core functions from overseas back to the country.