South Korea ends nine-year corporate crypto ban with guidelines finalized January 10

Ban lift finalised with dated decision

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission, or FSC, finalized guidelines on 10 January 2026 that end a nine-year corporate cryptocurrency ban. The ban began in 2017 after officials cited excessive speculation and money laundering concerns around corporate crypto activity. Under the new decision, listed companies and professional investors invest in digital assets under a capped and clearly defined framework. This move places crypto policy inside the government’s 2026 Economic Growth Strategy, which also includes work on stablecoin rules and spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Investment caps and eligible assets explained

The new framework limits corporate investment to 5% of annual equity capital per firm. Companies and professional investors allocate funds only into the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation listed on Korea’s five major exchanges. This group includes Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax, which function as the country’s primary regulated trading venues for digital assets. Around 3,500 eligible entities, including publicly listed firms and registered professional investment corporations, gain market access once the rules take effect. Dollar-pegged stablecoins such as Tether’s USDT, a widely used stable-value cryptocurrency, remain under discussion and sit outside the confirmed asset list for now.

Officials agree that trading in virtual currencies is excessively overheating... and we can no longer ignore this irregular speculative environment.

— South Korean government statement, 2017

Timeline, legal link, and market impact

Final public rules are scheduled for publication by February 2026, according to reports referencing FSC planning. Corporate trading in cryptocurrencies is expected to start by the end of 2026 once detailed guidelines are published and internal compliance frameworks are prepared. Implementation timing links to the Digital Asset Basic Law, a planned umbrella statute for South Korean crypto regulation now targeted for 2026. The phased approach follows earlier steps that let non-profit entities such as universities and social welfare organisations liquidate existing holdings under supervision. South Korean regulators now combine a numerical cap on corporate exposure with a restricted asset list, bringing this activity into a formal regulatory perimeter instead of keeping it entirely outside corporate balance sheets.