Recep Gülcemal 
Korean investors moved quickly to withdraw their substantial capital from Tesla Inc. Following this move, crypto stocks traded on US exchanges suddenly peaked with new inflows. According to a Wall Street commentary for one group of foreign individual investors, a shift in long-term preferences may be possible.
Investor Shift Putting Pressure on Tesla
According to a Bloomberg report, based on calculations using deposit records, approximately $657 million was withdrawn from Tesla in August alone. This is considered the largest monthly outflow of Korean capital since February 2023. Tesla, an electric car manufacturer, had previously received high levels of support from Korean investors, who were considered optimistic foreign investors.
Investment experts point out that Tesla’s growth has slowed and that Korean investors have lost confidence in the company. They also warn other investors about this issue. The main reason for this uncertainty is considered to be increased competition from Chinese electric vehicle companies. Concerns are also emerging about Tesla’s expected global deliveries in the second quarter.
In addition to all this, Elon Musk’s relationship with President Trump and the risk of verbal conflict are another reason for investors to be on alert. However, not all Korean investors have completely exited Tesla. They still hold $21.9 billion worth of Tesla shares. However, these exits did not only affect the shares. It is also known that they had some impact on the Tesla Double Leveraged ETF. The largest exit since February 2024 is said to be the $554 million exit in August.
Koreans Show Strong Interest in Crypto Stocks on US Exchanges
Koreans have shown a high level of interest in crypto stocks on US exchanges in recent months. In fact, it is known that they have purchased more than $12 billion worth of investment instruments since 2024 alone. Data from August also provides clear information about the size of these purchases.
Looking at these investments, it can be seen that $426 million was transferred to Bitmine Immersion Technologies. At the same time, it is stated that $226 million was transferred to Circle and $183 million to Coinbase. These developments show that digital assets are becoming more accepted locally with each passing day.
Politicians Take a Positive Approach to Cryptocurrency
Approximately 20% of South Koreans are interested in cryptocurrency investments. Interest in cryptocurrency is particularly high among those aged 20 to 50. Although discussions on taxation in this area are still ongoing, politicians are taking positive steps in this direction. Although there was a very cautious approach to this field in the past, today there is more focus on the institutionalization of the sector.
Koreans are among the largest investor groups in US stocks. Such high-intensity buying and selling activities can also have different effects on prices. In short, the great dynamism in Tesla is gradually giving way to crypto.
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