South Korea to Recognize Crypto as a National Asset

South Korea, one of the world’s biggest crypto markets with nearly 15% to 20% of global trading volume, is planning to bring cryptocurrencies under a new national asset law.  

The move also comes alongside plans for stablecoins, tokenized bonds, and spot Bitcoin ETFs.

South Korea State Asset Law to Include Crypto

On July 15, during a government policy briefing at Seoul’s Presidential Blue House, South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance announced plans to introduce the National Asset Basic Act. 

A new law that would expand the definition of national assets by including cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets.

The ministry said the new framework will also cover emerging asset classes such as intellectual property while improving how different types of state assets are managed and developed.

Unlike previous crypto rules that mainly focused on investor protection, this proposal treats digital assets as part of the country’s long term financial infrastructure.

More Crypto Rules Are Coming

The National Asset Basic Act is only one part of South Korea’s overall digital asset roadmap.

The government is also preparing the Digital Asset Basic Act, which will introduce licensing rules for crypto businesses, custody standards, and reserve requirements for stablecoin issuers.

At the same time, lawmakers are reviewing changes to the Capital Markets Act that could allow the launch of the country’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Officials are also working on a legal framework for cross-border stablecoin transactions, making it easier for digital assets to be used in international payments.

South Korea Is Building a Digital Financial System

Beyond crypto regulation, South Korea is also investing heavily in tokenization. The government plans to tokenize state-owned real estate through security tokens (STOs), allowing the public to invest and share in returns.

A pilot program for tokenized government bonds is scheduled for 2027. 

The project will also connect with the Bank of Korea’s wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) infrastructure. Authorities will study how the CBDC network can work with other blockchain networks.