Korea Emerges as APAC Leader in Stablecoin Trading and Professional Crypto Markets

Cha & Kwon Law Offices notes that South Korea is gradually playing an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) cryptocurrency market, particularly in stablecoin trading and professional-level trading activities.

According to a recent Chainalysis report, from July 2024 to June 2025, Koreans purchased approximately $59 billion worth of stablecoins in KRW, far surpassing Thailand ($4.5B), Indonesia, Australia, and Hong Kong. This makes Korea the most active market for stablecoin-to-fiat trades across the APAC region.

The surge in trading volumes follows major exchanges like Bithumb and Coinone adding USDT-KRW pairs in late 2023. However, regulation still lags: while current discussions focus on which institutions can issue KRW-based stablecoins, there is little oversight covering their full lifecycle—such as exchange listings, secondary circulation, or payment integration. Experts warn this regulatory gap could hinder sustainable growth.

Korea also stands out for its trading patterns. Mid-to-large transactions ranging from $10,000 to $1,000,000 account for nearly half of all on-chain activity—well above global averages. This highlights the dominance of professional traders managing liquidity, hedging, and asset rotation, rather than retail-driven speculation.

Institutional involvement remains limited for now, but the recently enacted Virtual Asset User Protection Act (VAUPA) is expected to gradually lower barriers for corporate and institutional entry. Industry observers believe this will diversify market participants and accelerate the maturity of Korea’s digital asset ecosystem, according to Cha & Kwon Law Offices.

Read more: 한국, 스테이블코인 거래 급성장…APAC 최대 – TokenPost