South Korea is no longer treating crypto as a regulatory headache on the fringes of finance.
Instead, digital assets are being folded into the country’s broader economic planning, alongside technology investment and structural reforms. This shift was embedded in the government’s newly released 2026 Economic Growth Strategy, signaling a move from containment toward integration.
Key Takeaways
South Korea is integrating crypto into its national economic strategy rather than treating it as a fringe sector
Stablecoins and cross-border payments are becoming a central regulatory focus
Bitcoin spot ETFs are back under consideration, with 2026 as a potential timeline
Oversight of this transition sits with the Financial Services Commission, underscoring that the initiative is being driven from the center of financial policymaking rather than as an experimental side project.
Stablecoins move to the center of regulation
Rather than loosening controls, authorities are preparing a second phase of crypto legislation that tightens standards around stablecoins. The focus is on making these assets usable at scale without introducing systemic risk.
Proposed rules are expected to address issuer authorization, capital requirements, reserve management, full backing of issued tokens, and enforceable redemption rights. In effect, stablecoins are being positioned closer to regulated financial instruments than speculative crypto assets.
Cross-border crypto payments under scrutiny
South Korea is also turning attention to the international dimension of crypto. New rules are being prepared specifically for cross-border stablecoin transfers, acknowledging their growing role in global payments and settlements.
This effort is being coordinated between the FSC and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, pointing to alignment between financial regulation and fiscal policy as blockchain-based transfers become harder to ignore.
Bitcoin spot ETFs return to the table
One of the clearest signals of policy change is the government’s evolving view on Bitcoin spot ETFs. Previously dismissed on the grounds that crypto was not a valid ETF underlying, the idea is now being reconsidered.
Officials have taken note of spot ETF adoption in markets such as the United States and Hong Kong. As a result, South Korea is now exploring pathways that could allow spot-based crypto ETFs domestically, with 2026 emerging as a realistic target for such products.
Blockchain enters public finance planning
The strategy extends beyond markets and into state finance. Authorities are reportedly examining the use of blockchain-based deposit tokens within the national treasury, with a long-term goal of tokenizing a portion of public funds by 2030.
To support this, reviews are underway to assess whether existing laws, including those governing the central bank and treasury management, need to be updated to accommodate blockchain-based payments and settlements.
From investment asset to payment infrastructure
Consumer-facing use cases are also part of the plan. The government is considering electronic wallets designed to support deposit tokens and blockchain settlements, encouraging their use for everyday transactions such as business expenses.
This reflects a broader ambition to reposition crypto from a speculative investment class into a functional payment and settlement layer embedded in the economy.
