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Upbit operator Dunamu responds to Nasdaq listing rumors: Confirms engagement with US SEC and CFTC, plans to establish IPO committee
Odaily News: Dunamu, the operator of Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, has responded to rumors of a US listing, stating that the company has indeed been in contact with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). However, it has not yet confirmed plans for a US listing, nor has it converted its financial reporting standards to U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP).Dunamu stated that it is currently working with Naver Financial to complete a share swap by December 31. The two companies are valued at 15 trillion KRW and 5 trillion KRW respectively, with a swap ratio of 1 share of Dunamu for approximately 2.54 shares of Naver Financial. Upon completion of the transaction, both parties plan to establish an IPO committee within one year and proceed with listing efforts.Market observers believe Nasdaq could be a potential listing venue, mainly because Naver is already listed on the Korean exchange. If the two companies are subsequently listed on a secondary exchange in Korea as subsidiaries, they may face regulatory restrictions on "parent-subsidiary dual listings." If Dunamu ultimately pursues a US listing, it may do so via American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). The Korean legal entity and Upbit business would remain intact, and services such as KRW deposits and withdrawals for users are not expected to be directly impacted. (Etoday)
Goldman Sachs: Samsung shareholder returns fall short of expectations, FCF expansion supports valuation repair
According to Chaoxiang Research, Goldman Sachs's August 23 research report notes that Samsung Electronics announced a projected shareholder return pool for 2026 ranging from KRW 90 trillion to KRW 110 trillion (median approximately KRW 100 trillion), which is lower than the KRW 150 trillion market expectation previously reported by the media. Goldman Sachs maintains its Buy rating with a common stock price target of KRW 490,000, implying a 74% upside from the current share price. The company plans to distribute cash dividends of approximately KRW 30 trillion in the third quarter, with the remainder to be implemented following confirmation in the January 2027 financial results. Goldman Sachs calculates that Samsung's cumulative free cash flow (FCF) from 2024 to 2026 will be approximately KRW 270 trillion. Based on a 50% payout ratio, the 2026 return will be about KRW 106 trillion, falling at the upper end of the guidance range. Goldman Sachs projects that the return pools for 2027 and 2028 will increase to KRW 179 trillion and KRW 232 trillion, respectively, while raising its 2026, 2027, and 2028 EPS forecasts by 1%, 7%, and 11%. At its current share price, Samsung trades at an expected 2027 price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 1.7x and a 2028 P/B ratio of 1.2x, with corresponding ROE reaching 40% to 50%. Goldman Sachs considers the risk-reward ratio to be attractive.
Anthropic's annualized revenue exceeds $65 billion, up more than 7x since the end of last year
Odaily News: As Anthropic prepares for an IPO, its annualized revenue run rate had surpassed $65 billion (approximately 92 trillion KRW) as of the end of July, representing a more than sevenfold increase from the end of last year. The figure was disclosed in regular operating data reports shared with major investors.Anthropic's full-year 2025 revenue has already exceeded $9 billion, reaching $47 billion in May this year. Preliminary second-quarter revenue surpassed $11.5 billion, compared to $787 million in the same period last year—a roughly 15-fold increase. Adjusted operating profit is expected to turn profitable.Anthropic has hired Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs as lead underwriters for its IPO, with JPMorgan also participating in the transaction. Following its latest funding round, the company is valued at $965 billion, one of the highest valuations among private companies. (ETNews SW)
AI Database Company GraphAI Completes $12 Million Series A Funding, Led by K2 Investment Partners
Odaily News: South Korean enterprise-grade AI data infrastructure company GraphAI has announced the completion of a 17 billion KRW (approximately $12 million) Series A funding round, led by K2 Investment Partners, with participation from A-Ventures and Jiyu Investment, as well as Quad Ventures, Kiwoom Investment, and We Ventures, who previously participated in the Pre-A round. To date, the company's cumulative funding has reached 20.6 billion KRW (approximately $14.7 million).Founded in 2022 by Min-Soo Kim, a professor at KAIST's School of Computing, GraphAI aims to provide next-generation data infrastructure for enterprise AI applications by integrating graph database, vector database, and relational database capabilities. Its Akasic platform offers an integrated solution covering enterprise data connectivity, ingestion, transformation, AI inference, and an intelligent agent (Agentic AI) execution environment. (Thelec)
Korean stock market's semiconductor main line takes a pause, sparking sector rotation as non-semiconductor industries undergo value revaluation
Odaily News: Data released today by the Korea Exchange shows that heavyweight semiconductor stocks have recently pulled back, with capital beginning to rotate toward non-semiconductor sectors. From August 3 to 7, Samsung Electronics fell 12.00%, SK Hynix dropped 17.23%, and the KOSPI index declined 5.10% over the same period; however, sectors such as metals and machinery equipment rose against the trend.Currently, the combined market capitalization of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as a share of the KOSPI has fallen from 58.9% on June 25 to 46.3% on August 7. Meanwhile, the KOSPI's net profit forecast for this year, excluding these two companies, has been revised upward from 219.2 trillion KRW last week to 222.3 trillion KRW, with improving market earnings further supporting the valuation recovery of non-semiconductor sectors. KB Securities researcher Kim Min-kyu stated that the current "semiconductor pause, other sectors rising" pattern is closer to previously overlooked industries being revalued while the leading sector takes a breather, rather than a simple broad-based expansion of the market rally. (FNNews)
"Unease and anticipation are just two sides of the same coin": SK Hynix stock pulls back but remains favored by institutions, market focuses on HBM4 technology moat
Odaily News: SK Hynix's stock price has recently seen a pullback. On August 3, the stock fell 8.79%. Although it rebounded slightly by 0.64% and 5.77% on August 4 and 5 respectively, it plunged another 10.37% on August 6, closing at 1.495 million KRW; on August 7, it dropped a further 4.88%, closing at 1.422 million KRW.Against the backdrop of heightened market volatility, SK Group released an advertisement quoting founder Choi Jong-gun’s famous saying: "Despair and hope are two sides of the same coin; you can turn despair into hope as easily as flipping your palm," and adapted it to: "Unease and anticipation in the AI era are also two sides of the same coin; you can turn unease into anticipation," thereby conveying confidence in the long-term development of the AI industry.Securities institutions believe that short-term stock price fluctuations have not changed SK Hynix's fundamentals, and the market should focus on its HBM4 technology leadership and the earnings stability brought by long-term supply agreements (LTAs). Specifically:1. Hyundai Motor Securities expects SK Hynix's DRAM and NAND bit growth to reach 9.7% and 1.5% respectively in the third quarter. As HBM4 sales contributions expand, even with a higher proportion of LTAs, DRAM average selling prices (ASP) are still expected to rise 19.9% quarter-over-quarter. Companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are advancing plans to build their own hyperscale AI data centers and intend to raise funds for related construction through IPOs. Even if some large tech companies adjust capital expenditures (Capex) in the future, this could be offset by demand from other AI infrastructure. Additionally, regarding competitive concerns over China's CXMT, given the U.S. continued tightening of semiconductor equipment export restrictions, as well as Micron's expansion of domestic U.S. investment, the likelihood of major companies like Apple adopting Chinese memory chips is relatively low.2. SK Securities is also bullish on SK Hynix's competitive advantages, believing that with its leading position in HBM, partnerships with major North American GPU companies, and AI-driven LTA demand, SK Hynix's market position remains solid. Currently, the HBM supply-demand fulfillment rate is below 70%, and the core value of LTAs lies in ensuring profit sustainability and earnings stability through a "mutual binding structure" between customers and suppliers. With value-reassessment initiatives such as an ADR listing progressing, along with dividend income from the sale of SPC assets related to Kioxia, the company's goal of achieving net cash of 100 trillion KRW may be reached earlier than expected. As shareholder return policies gradually become clearer, this will help the market re-evaluate the value of the LTA model and drive a further re-rating of SK Hynix. (Daum)
South Korean crypto exchange operating profit fell 78% in the first half of the year, with average daily trading volume down 44% month-on-month.
According to Cointelegraph, data from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) shows that operating profits of crypto exchanges in South Korea fell by 78% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous six-month period, while exchange sales declined by 41% over the same timeframe. Market trading activity also cooled noticeably, with the average daily trading volume at domestic virtual asset exchanges dropping by 44% compared to the prior period. The total market capitalization of crypto assets decreased by 33%, KRW-denominated customer deposits fell by 35%, but the number of accounts eligible for trading saw a slight increase of 0.4%. The survey covered 26 registered virtual asset service providers, including 17 exchange operators and 9 custodian and wallet service providers, with data spanning from January 1 to June 30 this year.
South Korean crypto exchanges' operating profit fell 78% in the first half of 2026
Odaily News: Data from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) shows that in the first half of 2026, the operating profit of South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges fell 78% compared with the previous six months. Over the same period, average daily trading volume dropped 44%, total market value declined 33%, KRW deposits fell 35%, and exchange revenue decreased 41%.The survey covered 26 registered virtual asset service providers, including 17 exchange operators and 9 custody and wallet service providers, with the reporting period from January 1 to June 30, 2026. The number of accounts eligible for trading rose slightly by 0.4% over the same period. (Cointelegraph)
South Korea's Financial Services Commission Plans to Refine Tokenized Securities Rules, Capping Annual Net Purchases for Individual Investors at 100 Million KRW per OTC Platform
According to Cointelegraph, South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has proposed supporting regulatory rules for tokenized securities, allowing stocks, bonds, funds, and certain fractional investment securities to be issued and traded via tokenization. Issuers of tokenized securities that directly manage client accounts must meet a minimum capital requirement of 4 billion South Korean won (approximately $2.8 million) and must be equipped with dedicated compliance and technical personnel. The relevant rules are scheduled to take effect on February 4, 2027.
Circle Hires Executives in South Korea to Accelerate Stablecoin Ecosystem Expansion
Stablecoin issuer Circle is currently recruiting for the "Senior Director, Ecosystem Growth, South Korea" role in South Korea, responsible for developing market entry strategies, tracking regulatory developments, and establishing partnerships with domestic financial and digital asset industry players. The position requires candidates to possess over 13 years of business development experience, familiarity with stablecoins, DeFi, and institutional finance flows, as well as fluency in both Korean and English. Circle has previously indicated that its South Korea strategy does not involve directly issuing a KRW stablecoin, but instead focuses on partnering with local KRW stablecoin issuers to provide infrastructure linking to USD stablecoins.
South Korean police have transferred 18 Polymarket users, with cumulative wagers involved in the case totaling approximately 17.6 billion Korean won.
According to reports from Asia Economic, the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Gangwon Regional Police Agency has filed cases against 26 users of the overseas prediction market platform Polymarket and transferred 18 of them to prosecutors. The cumulative betting amount among those involved is approximately 17.6 billion Korean won, with the highest individual amount reaching about 5.7 billion KRW. Police maintain that users betting on uncertain event outcomes using crypto assets are suspected of committing illegal gambling. The involved users counter that because Polymarket employs order book trading and supports closing positions before maturity, it should be treated as a crypto derivatives market. Relevant South Korean authorities had previously decided to block the platform, and subsequent judicial disputes will focus on whether its trading structure should be classified as gambling or derivatives investment.
KRWQ removes tokenized South Korean government bonds from reserve assets.
According to reports from Seoul Economic Daily, the overseas KRW-denominated stablecoin KRWQ has removed tokenized Korean Treasury Bonds (KTB) from its reserve assets, approximately six months after their inclusion. KRWQ's reserves currently consist only of two USD stablecoins: USDC and frxUSD. KTB was co-issued by Shinhan Securities and the RWA tokenization platform Etherfuse, with underlying assets comprising Korean government bonds with maturities of one year or less. Shinhan Securities stated that upon learning KTB was used as a reserve asset, it considered the move a compliance risk and directed Etherfuse to remove it, while emphasizing that there is no cooperative relationship between Shinhan Securities and KRWQ. Previously, KRWQ had promoted itself as "the first KRW stablecoin to adopt tokenized Korean government bonds as reserve assets," and the project continues to face scrutiny over money laundering allegations.
Upbit 将上线 Dolphin（POD），支持韩元、BTC 及 USDT 交易对
据 Upbit 公告，Upbit 将上线 Dolphin（POD），支持 KRW、BTC 和 USDT 三个交易市场，预计于北京时间今日 15:00 开放交易。POD 仅支持通过 Base 网络充值和提现，充提服务将在公告发布后 2 小时内开放。 Dolphin 是一个 AI DePIN 项目，通过整合全球闲置 GPU 资源分布式处理 AI 推理任务，并提供 Web Chat、Telegram Bot 等产品。POD 代币主要用于网络质押及 Bonding。
Korean Leveraged ETF Enthusiasm Cools Sharply: Samsung and SK Hynix-Related Products See Concentrated Retail Selling
Odaily News – After South Korea raised capital thresholds and added trading restrictions, the leveraged trading capital previously concentrated in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix has contracted notably. However, some market participants worry that the restricted leveraged capital may shift toward index-based or overseas leveraged ETFs, and the effectiveness of the regulatory measures still requires further observation.Looking at specific targets, eight products linked to SK Hynix saw net selling of approximately 1.2415 trillion KRW, while eight products tied to Samsung Electronics recorded net selling of around 531.6 billion KRW.The cooling in trading activity is equally pronounced. The aforementioned 16 products posted an average daily trading volume of roughly 11.6787 trillion KRW from their listing in May through July 30. Since August, this has dropped to about 1.0059 trillion KRW, a decline of more than 90%, now equivalent to only about 8% of the level seen before the regulatory measures were implemented.The regulatory tightening began on July 31. South Korea's financial regulators raised the base margin threshold for single-stock leveraged ETFs from 10 million KRW to 30 million KRW; starting August 19, investors are also required to complete simulated trading before transacting in related products. Regulators plan to further increase the minimum trading unit, targeting an adjustment to 20 shares by November. Before the regulations were introduced, single-stock leveraged ETFs had enjoyed strong popularity among South Korean retail investors. Between May 27 and July 30, individual investors cumulatively net purchased approximately 15.2876 trillion KRW across the aforementioned 16 products, with SK Hynix-related products attracting about 9.9365 trillion KRW and Samsung Electronics-related products drawing around 5.3511 trillion KRW. (Newsis)
Korean Retail Investors Flock to US Market Betting on SK Hynix ADR, 1.16 Trillion KRW Inflow Triggers Significant Premium
Odaily News According to data from the Korea Securities Depository, Korean retail investors are aggressively purchasing the ADR (American Depositary Receipt) of SK Hynix listed on the US Nasdaq, resulting in a significant premium for the ADR compared to the company's domestic shares.From the listing of the SK Hynix ADR on Nasdaq on July 10 to August 19, Korean investors recorded cumulative net purchases of approximately $835 million (about 1.16 trillion KRW) in SK Hynix ADR, ranking second among US stocks bought by Korean investors during the same period and accounting for 16.4% of the total net purchases of US stocks by Korean investors.This trend has led to a widening price gap between the SK Hynix ADR and its domestic shares. On August 19, SK Hynix's domestic shares closed down 9.75% at 1.5 million KRW, while the US-listed ADR rose 0.35% to close at $156.16. Since one SK Hynix ADR corresponds to 0.1 domestic share, the theoretical value of the domestic share converted from the ADR price should be approximately 10 times the ADR price. However, as of the 19th, the domestic share price was only 6.82 times the converted ADR price, indicating an approximate premium of 46.67% for the ADR over the domestic shares. (NATE)
Korean retail investors are aggressively betting on the memory chip sector's recovery: 118.5 billion KRW poured into a US memory ETF in a single week
Odaily News According to data from the Korea Securities Depository, Korean retail investors recorded a net purchase of approximately $85.61 million (about 118.5 billion KRW) in the "Roundhill Memory ETF" between August 14 and 20, making it the second-largest product by net purchase amount among the country's overseas individual stocks and ETFs (trailing only Google's parent company Alphabet). This actively managed ETF primarily invests in major memory chip companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron.Recently, memory chip stocks have shown a clear rebound. From August 10 to 21, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics saw their stock prices rise by 21.6% and 21.8%, respectively, both outpacing the 10.4% gain of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) over the same period. On the US market side, Micron rose approximately 11% during the same timeframe, while SanDisk gained around 32%.The domestic Korean ETF market has also seen capital inflows. Data shows that between August 14 and 20, the "TIGER US S&P500 ETF," which tracks the S&P 500 index, attracted net inflows of 170.9 billion KRW, while the "KODEX US Nasdaq 100 ETF," which tracks the Nasdaq 100 index, saw net inflows of 132.3 billion KRW. Market analysts believe that as expectations for a semiconductor cycle recovery grow, investors are increasing their allocations to the AI chip and memory chip supply chain. (Daum)
SK Hynix Plans to Invest Trillions of KRW in a Memory Chip Fab in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Odaily News, Citrini analyst jukan stated on X platform that, according to informed sources, SK Hynix is advancing plans to invest trillions of KRW to build a memory chip wafer fab in Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan. If realized, this would mark the first large-scale investment by a Korean semiconductor company establishing a local manufacturing base in Japan. As investment in Japan progresses, the United States is also expected to intensify pressure on Korean companies to expand memory chip production capacity in the U.S., further complicating future investment allocation decisions.According to reports from South Korea's Hankyoreh on the 20th, SK hynix is seeking to build a memory chip wafer fab in Miyagi Prefecture, located in northeastern Honshu, Japan. A business insider said, "As far as I understand, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won recently visited the region in person." Miyagi Prefecture, along with Kyushu and Hokkaido, is one of three regions that the Japanese government plans to develop into major semiconductor industry hubs.It is reported that the project's investment scale is expected to reach trillions of KRW. Compared with the hundreds of trillions of KRW invested in domestic semiconductor clusters in Yongin and the Honam region of Korea, the Japan plant will be a relatively smaller-scale production base. The Miyagi fab will serve as an additional overseas manufacturing site, while SK hynix will continue its planned domestic investments in the Yongin and Honam semiconductor clusters as originally scheduled. The plan appears aimed at proactively expanding production capacity amid the ongoing global memory chip shortage.If realized, SK hynix would become the third foreign semiconductor company to operate semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Japan, following U.S.-based Micron and Taiwan's TSMC. Samsung Electronics currently operates only an advanced semiconductor packaging research center in Yokohama.However, the investment also carries risks. The United States has been pressuring the Korean government and Korean companies to invest in memory chip wafer fabs on U.S. soil. If SK hynix moves forward with investment in Japan, Washington may further demand that it expand local production capacity in the U.S. Additionally, SK hynix must navigate domestic political uncertainties in Korea, as well as the social sensitivity surrounding investment in Japan for strategic industries such as semiconductors.
Analyst: BofA Expects Samsung Electronics' Shareholder Return Plan May Include Special Dividends of Over 30 Trillion KRW and a Share Buyback of 40 Trillion KRW
Odaily News, Citrini analyst jukan posted on X platform, stating that Bank of America expects Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to announce specific shareholder return plans.For Samsung Electronics, Bank of America expects it to return 50% of its free cash flow to shareholders, mainly including: paying special dividends of over 30 trillion KRW in Q3 or Q4; repurchasing over 40 trillion KRW worth of shares in H1 2027; and distributing year-end dividends of 30 trillion KRW in April 2027. In addition, Samsung Electronics will also repurchase an additional 30 trillion KRW worth of shares for employee compensation.For SK Hynix, Bank of America also expects it to return 50% of its free cash flow to shareholders, but the proportion of share buybacks will be higher than cash dividends, with an expected share repurchase amount of over 40 trillion KRW and cash dividends exceeding 20 trillion KRW.
WEMIX Stablecoin Hacked, Approximately $6.25 Million WEMIX$ Abnormally Outflowed
According to "Digital Assets", South Korean blockchain platform WEMIX released an official announcement on July 27, acknowledging a security incident involving its stablecoin WEMIX$ (WEMIX Dollar) smart contract. The incident occurred at 6:18 PM on July 26, when the owner permissions of the WEMIX$ smart contract were hijacked, resulting in approximately $6.25 million (approximately 87 million KRW) worth of WEMIX$ being abnormally minted and transferred to external addresses. WEMIX stated that it has identified the addresses suspected of being used in the attack and is conducting on-chain tracking, while collaborating with major exchanges and blockchain security agencies to monitor the flow of stolen assets, and will cooperate with law enforcement agencies if necessary.
South Korea’s Top 5 Cryptocurrency Exchanges Have Experienced 57 Hacking and System Incidents Over the Past Six Years, with Total Compensation Amounting to Approximately $5.1 Million
South Korea’s top five cryptocurrency exchanges experienced a total of 57 hacking incidents and system failures between 2020 and April 2026, resulting in cumulative compensation of approximately 7 billion KRW (about USD 5.1 million).
Upbit 将上线 Dolphin（POD），支持韩元、BTC 及 USDT 交易对
据 Upbit 公告，Upbit 将上线 Dolphin（POD），支持 KRW、BTC 和 USDT 三个交易市场，预计于北京时间今日 15:00 开放交易。POD 仅支持通过 Base 网络充值和提现，充提服务将在公告发布后 2 小时内开放。 Dolphin 是一个 AI DePIN 项目，通过整合全球闲置 GPU 资源分布式处理 AI 推理任务，并提供 Web Chat、Telegram Bot 等产品。POD 代币主要用于网络质押及 Bonding。
Bithumb to List US/KRW Trading Pair
According to an official announcement, Bithumb will list the US/KRW trading pair, with trading expected to open at 15:00 local time.
Binance Releases Important Update Regarding Dividend Adjustment for Samsung TradFi Perpetual Contracts
Binance announced that since the final dividend amount for Samsung Electronics has not yet been confirmed, the platform will use an estimated value to calculate dividends for the SAMSUNGUSDT TradFi perpetual contract. Based on a reference of KRW 4,500 per share, Binance will apply dividend adjustments to traders holding net positions on the contract's ex-dividend date (September 29, 2026, 08:00 KST). Within one week of Samsung Electronics officially announcing the actual dividend amount, Binance will reconcile any difference. Additionally, the dividend adjustment amount will not be subject to funding rate caps or floors.
Bithumb will list KRW trading pairs for Q and PYUSD
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list KRW trading pairs for Q and PYUSD.
Upbit will list CASHCAT/KRW, BTC and USDT trading pairs
According to the official announcement, Upbit will list CASHCAT/KRW, CASHCAT/BTC, and CASHCAT/USDT trading pairs.
JPYC Surges Past 3 Yen Briefly After Upbit Listing, Supply Exceeds 4.2 Billion Yen in 48 Hours
Odaily News: Japan's first licensed yen stablecoin, JPYC, was listed on South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit on September 17. The JPYC/KRW opening reference price was 8.81 Korean won, and it subsequently rose to 35.7 Korean won, reaching a high of approximately 37 Korean won, equivalent to over 3 yen.JPYC minted 1.687 billion yen on that day, and its circulating supply grew from approximately 1.9 billion yen to over 4.2 billion yen within about 48 hours. After the new supply entered the market, JPYC's price gradually returned to its 1:1 yen peg. (Bitcoin.com News)
Related news
Weekly trading volume at South Korea's top five crypto exchanges drops to 20.5 trillion KRW, down 19.56% week-on-week.
The weekly trading volume of South Korea's top five crypto exchanges from September 25 to October 2 amounted to approximately 20.5 trillion KRW, down 19.56% week-on-week. Upbit remains in first place with a market share of 64.04%.
South Korean crypto exchange operating profit fell 78% in the first half of the year, with average daily trading volume down 44% month-on-month.
According to Cointelegraph, data from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) shows that operating profits of crypto exchanges in South Korea fell by 78% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous six-month period, while exchange sales declined by 41% over the same timeframe. Market trading activity also cooled noticeably, with the average daily trading volume at domestic virtual asset exchanges dropping by 44% compared to the prior period. The total market capitalization of crypto assets decreased by 33%, KRW-denominated customer deposits fell by 35%, but the number of accounts eligible for trading saw a slight increase of 0.4%. The survey covered 26 registered virtual asset service providers, including 17 exchange operators and 9 custodian and wallet service providers, with data spanning from January 1 to June 30 this year.
South Korean crypto exchanges' operating profit fell 78% in the first half of 2026
Odaily News: Data from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) shows that in the first half of 2026, the operating profit of South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges fell 78% compared with the previous six months. Over the same period, average daily trading volume dropped 44%, total market value declined 33%, KRW deposits fell 35%, and exchange revenue decreased 41%.The survey covered 26 registered virtual asset service providers, including 17 exchange operators and 9 custody and wallet service providers, with the reporting period from January 1 to June 30, 2026. The number of accounts eligible for trading rose slightly by 0.4% over the same period. (Cointelegraph)
South Korea's Financial Services Commission Plans to Refine Tokenized Securities Rules, Capping Annual Net Purchases for Individual Investors at 100 Million KRW per OTC Platform
According to Cointelegraph, South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has proposed supporting regulatory rules for tokenized securities, allowing stocks, bonds, funds, and certain fractional investment securities to be issued and traded via tokenization. Issuers of tokenized securities that directly manage client accounts must meet a minimum capital requirement of 4 billion South Korean won (approximately $2.8 million) and must be equipped with dedicated compliance and technical personnel. The relevant rules are scheduled to take effect on February 4, 2027.
Upbit 将上线 Dolphin（POD），支持韩元、BTC 及 USDT 交易对
据 Upbit 公告，Upbit 将上线 Dolphin（POD），支持 KRW、BTC 和 USDT 三个交易市场，预计于北京时间今日 15:00 开放交易。POD 仅支持通过 Base 网络充值和提现，充提服务将在公告发布后 2 小时内开放。 Dolphin 是一个 AI DePIN 项目，通过整合全球闲置 GPU 资源分布式处理 AI 推理任务，并提供 Web Chat、Telegram Bot 等产品。POD 代币主要用于网络质押及 Bonding。
Bithumb to List US/KRW Trading Pair
According to an official announcement, Bithumb will list the US/KRW trading pair, with trading expected to open at 15:00 local time.