The post South Korea Moves to Reopen Crypto Markets to Corporations After Nine-Year Ban appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Regulations After nearly a decade on the sidelines, South Korean corporations are preparing to re-enter the crypto market. Behind the scenes, regulators have been redesigning the rules of engagement, aiming to reopen institutional access without reigniting the risks that led to the original ban. Regulatory approval for corporate crypto trading is set to return under new guidance finalized by the Financial Services Commission. The shift reverses a prohibition imposed in 2017, when authorities pushed institutions out of the market amid concerns over illicit flows and speculative excess. Key Takeaways South Korea is preparing to reopen crypto trading to corporations after a long ban Access will be limited and tightly controlled under new regulatory rules The move aims to rebalance a market dominated by retail traders Industry welcomes the shift but criticizes strict exposure limits  This reopening is not a return to free-for-all trading. Instead, it reflects a broader recalibration of policy as South Korea aligns digital assets with its longer-term economic agenda heading into 2026. Who gets access – and how much risk is allowed Rather than opening the floodgates, regulators are taking a measured approach. Only listed companies and licensed professional investors will be eligible, and their crypto exposure will be tightly controlled. Under the framework, companies will be limited to a small slice of balance-sheet exposure each year, with purchases restricted to the most liquid and established cryptocurrencies traded on Korea’s major exchanges. Execution rules will also change, with exchanges required to slow down large orders to reduce volatility and market shocks. Roughly 3,500 corporate and professional entities are expected to qualify once the rules come into force. A market shaped by exclusion The long-running ban left South Korea with one of the most retail-heavy crypto markets in the world. Institutional capital largely vanished, while individual traders dominated…

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Filed under: News - @ January 12, 2026 2:25 am