South Korea open to approving first spot Bitcoin ETFs this year

South Korea has shifted its perspective on the crypto ecosystem, adopting a more positive outlook for the sector. The government is considering approving Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) this year.

According to a released report, the government plans to introduce a second-stage bill that will focus on establishing a legal framework for digital assets, particularly stablecoins. In addition to this bill, the reporter noted that the government seeks to adopt suitable regulations to govern cross-border transactions for this cryptocurrency.

The South Korean government intends to make a big move in the crypto industry 

Following the findings, reports indicated that the government in the country had publicly released its 2026 Economic Growth Strategy on January 5. In this comprehensive plan, the government outlined various goals set to be achieved this year. 

This included focusing on achieving tech-driven growth, improving economic fundamentals, and addressing demographic challenges. Notably, this effort is headed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

Meanwhile, for the government to achieve this significant milestone, certain conditions must be met. According to the Financial Services Commission, it has opted to proceed with additional regulations to support digital assets. 

For the new regulations of stablecoins, sources close to the situation have hinted that these new rules will primarily focus on key areas, such as issuer approval on matters like capital requirements, reserve asset management, ensuring the backing of issued amounts stays at least 100%, as well as claims for redemption.

Apart from this vision, the South Korean government also informed the public of its plan to adopt new rules to govern cross-border transfers and transactions for stablecoins. The departments appointed to lead this significant initiative include the Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. 

South Korea demonstrates interest in Bitcoin spot ETFs 

The government of South Korea has shown increased interest in Bitcoin spot ETFs following the discovery of their growing adoption among countries such as the US and Hong Kong. This finding encouraged the nation to consider the trade of Bitcoin spot ETFs. Therefore, South Korea has introduced a plan to permit asset spot ETFs in 2026.

Before the widespread acceptance of spot ETFs in the country, the government did not support spot ETFs, as cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin were perceived as invalid underlying assets for ETFs.

Now that the country is embracing the adoption of digital assets among individuals, reports indicate that the South Korean government plans to allocate a quarter of its national treasury funds as deposit tokens, a blockchain-based, emerging form of digital currency, by 2030.

Another significant plan it seeks to execute is to make several adjustments to regulations, such as the Bank of Korea Act and the National Treasury Management Act, following a review of the pilot initiative’s outcome. With this focus, sources confirmed that the government is looking forward to establishing a regulatory framework for payment and settlements done on the blockchain this year.

In addition to this, it targets the issuance of electronic wallets to users, promoting deposit token payments and settlements as preferred means for various crypto-related activities such as catering business expenses.

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