As a high-tech hub known for its consumer electronics, tech giants, esports, and global innovation, perhaps it’s not surprising that a report by Cindicator revealed that South Korea will play a major role in cryptocurrency adoption. By reviewing existing data on exchange volumes, recent economic history, regulation, and trends, the tokenized fintech asset management company came to some interesting conclusions.
Based on existing evidence, the country of 50 million inhabitants and one of the world’s top 15 economies is poised to play a major role in embracing cryptocurrencies. This is due to a combination of factors such as exchange infrastructure, a high level of tech adoption, and the country’s regulatory and tax framework.
A Crypto-Friendly Population
When listing the top crypto-friendly countries in the world, rarely does South Korea make the cut. Malta, Singapore, Switzerland, and Estonia are usually more top-of-mind. However, South Koreans with their insatiable appetite for high-tech take the cake in terms of the population’s attitude.
South Koreans, in fact, account for approximately 30 percent of total cryptocurrency trading worldwide, with some 30 percent of all salaried workers owning and trading crypto assets of some kind. Certainly, the country’s recent economic history and growth is a factor, but for a fairly small country, it has a highly developed cryptocurrency exchange scene.
The South Korean Exchange Infrastructure
South Korea has a very developed cryptocurrency exchange scene with Bithumb, the biggest Korean exchange, ranking in the top spot over the last 30 days in terms of trading volume in USD, (data from November 22). There is also Upbit, Coinone, and Korbit. Most of the market is cornered by Bithumb and Upbit (86 percent).
According to the report, there have been plenty of cases in which just the announcement of an altcoin getting listed on either of these exchanges saw its value rise by ridiculous proportions. When tron (TRX) was listed on Bithumb in April 2018, its price went from $0.03 to $0.05 in as little as three hours.
The Cindicator report states:
“There is no doubt that Korean exchanges are a key element in trying to analyze the crypto phenomenon in the Asian.”
Leading Crypto Projects for Mass Adoption
Coinone is working on a blockchain project to make money transfers easier around the globe, while Bithumb also recently announced a payment service in partnership with Qoo10. This company is widely known as the “Asian Amazon.”
There are also plenty of other businesses that are taking blockchain tech to the mainstream, including accelerator projects like Deblock.