🇰🇷 South Korea’s Crypto Revolution: 6 in 10 Bitcoin Owners and Counting

📊 Boomers, Gen Z, and Bitcoin Bags

A new study by Hana Bank just dropped a bomb: over 60% of South Koreans who own crypto hold Bitcoin — and digital assets now make up 14% of the average portfolio.

Who’s leading the charge?

• 🧑‍💼 40-somethings: 31%
• 👩‍💻 30-somethings: 28%
• 👴 50+: 25%

But here’s the kicker: 78% of the over-50 crowd sees crypto as a wealth-preserving tool, and 53% are eyeing it for retirement. South Korea’s not just trading — they’re planning.

🔥 Demand Is Heating Up

Crypto appetite is far from full:

• 70% want to invest more
• 42% would go deeper if big banks joined the game
• 35% want clearer laws before pulling the trigger

But there are blockers too:

• ❗ 56% fear market volatility
• 🏦 Still can’t link multiple bank accounts to one exchange — regulation bottleneck

💸 Youth, Unemployment, and Crypto as a Lifeline

South Korea’s high youth unemployment is turning crypto into a default investment strategy for younger generations. When traditional jobs lag, onchain opportunities rise.

⚖️ Regulation: Green Light or Red Tape?

Big moves in 2025:

• ✅ FSC lifts 2017 ban on local companies selling crypto
• ❌ Tighter rules for VASPs on cross-border transfers

Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea hit pause on its CBDC pilot’s second phase. Reason? “Reassessment.” Translation: they’re not ready — or not sure.

But President Lee Jae-myung has his eyes on stablecoins, pushing to allow companies with just ₩500M in equity (370K) to mint won-backed tokens.

Bank officials are skeptical, urging a “gradual, bank-led” rollout with consumer protection first.

📈 Trading Volumes Bigger Than Stock Markets

Here’s the wild part: on some days, crypto trading in Korea tops traditional stock exchanges like Kospi and Kosdaq.

With 18 million people — over one-third of the population — in crypto, South Korea is punching way above its weight in global markets.

• 1 in 2 adults (20–59) have traded crypto
• 1 in 4 still hold coins
• Most keep wallets on multiple local exchanges

💹 Crypto Fever Hits the Stock Market

This isn’t just onchain — it's spilling into equities.

• 📈 Kakao Pay stock more than doubled
• 🚀 LG CNS soared 70% before correcting
• All tied to CBDC speculation and blockchain projects

🧭 The Path Forward: Between Moonshots and Red Tape

South Korea is showing the world what mass crypto adoption looks like — but it’s a delicate dance between:

• 🚀 Innovation from users and startups
• 🧱 Regulation from banks and politicians
• 💬 Public demand for real options, not just hype

If the government plays it right, South Korea could become the first truly crypto-integrated economy. If they fumble, the talent and capital might just migrate to friendlier shores.

TL;DR

• 🪙 60%+ of Korean crypto holders own Bitcoin
• 💼 14% of financial portfolios now in crypto
• 🧓 Boomers see crypto as a retirement plan
• 🧠 70% want to invest more — if banks and laws catch up
• 📊 On some days, crypto trading > stock trading in Korea
• 💥 Kakao Pay & LG CNS stocks are surging from crypto buzz