|

Doom as 97% of South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges risk shutting down

  • Most of the world’s top 100 crypto exchanges are from South Korea.
  • “tougher domestic cryptocurrency exchange market conditions” are not making the situation better.

A newly released report by Business Korea argues that a large number of South Korea-based cryptocurrency exchange are on the verge of closing down. The report cites low trading volumes as the reason why the exchanges could grind to halt.

“It is no exaggeration to say that 97 percent of domestic exchanges are in danger of going bankrupt due to their low volume of transactions.”

Unfortunately, the report fails to provide concrete data to back such a strong claim. One should note that most of the top 100 crypto exchanges by trading volume are South Korean-based. At the same time, one crypto exchange in the country Coinnest already closed its doors citing a decrease in trading volume.

More to readBitcoin price prediction: BTC/USD magnificent start of week – Confluence Detector

Due to the low trading volumes from the exchanges, crypto projects are preferring to launch their tokens on foreign exchanges. The report as that “foreign [cryptocurrency] exchanges have opened the Korean won money market to attract South Korean cryptocurrency projects.”

In addition to that, “tougher domestic cryptocurrency exchange market conditions” are not making the situation better. For instance, “investors cannot make or withdraw deposits in the Korean currency at Korean exchanges.” This motivates projects to list their coins abroad, in turn, hurting the exchange business in South Korea.

Author

John Isige

John Isige

FXStreet

John Isige is a seasoned cryptocurrency journalist and markets analyst committed to delivering high-quality, actionable insights tailored to traders, investors, and crypto enthusiasts. He enjoys deep dives into emerging Web3 tren

More from John Isige
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).

Sberbank issues Russia's first corporate loan backed by Bitcoin

Russia's largest bank Sberbank launched the country's first Bitcoin-backed corporate loan to miner Intelion Data. The pilot deal uses cryptocurrency as collateral through Sberbank's proprietary Rutoken custody solution.

Bitcoin recovers to $87,000 as retail optimism offsets steady ETF outflows

Bitcoin (BTC) trades above $88,000 at press time on Tuesday, following a rejection at $90,000 the previous day. Institutional support remains mixed amid steady outflow from US spot BTC Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Strategy Inc.’s acquisition of 1,229 BTC last week.

Traders split over whether lighter’s LIT clears $3 billion FDV after launch

Lighter’s LIT token has not yet begun open trading, but the market has already drawn a sharp line around its valuation after Tuesday's airdrop.

Orange Juice Newsletter – Smart insights by real people. Every day.

A free newsletter highlighting key market trends to help traders stay a step ahead. Daily insights on the most relevant trading topics, compiled by our experts in an easy-to-read format so you never miss an important move.

Bitcoin: Fed delivers, yet fails to impress BTC traders

Bitcoin (BTC) continues de trade within the recent consolidation phase, hovering around $92,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors digest the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) cautious December rate cut and its implications for risk assets.