Yeliz Akmaca 
South Korea financial world is finally seeing the end of the strict corporate crypto ban that has been in place since 2017. According to a report shared by the Seoul Economic Daily on Sunday, the country’s financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission (FSC), is preparing to allow companies to invest in cryptocurrencies. In fact, this move marks the long-awaited green light for institutional investors. The market is now seeing cards being reshuffled.
Under the new guidelines expected to be released in January or February, publicly listed companies will be able to invest up to 5% of their equity in digital assets. However, a notable restriction applies: investments will be limited to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. In other words, companies cannot invest randomly in every project. Additionally, transactions must be conducted only on the five largest regulated exchanges in the country. At this point, it’s clear that the government wants to keep liquidity in “safe harbors.”
Giants’ Return and Liquidity Impact
The most striking part of the news is that approximately 3,500 institutions will gain this right. Considering companies like internet giant Naver, which have billions of dollars in equity, the liquidity entering the market could reach trillions of won. Naver’s recent acquisition of Upbit operator Dunamu also indicates that preparations for this move began long ago. Analysts interpret this as a critical step to prevent domestic liquidity from flowing to global exchanges.
CBDC and the 2030 Vision: Treasury Goes Digital
FSC’s move aligns perfectly with South Korea’s 2026 Economic Growth Strategy. The government has set an ambitious goal: by 2030, 25% of the national treasury is planned to be managed through a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Attention is now on how this massive digitization process will affect public spending. Pilot implementations using “deposit tokens” in areas such as electric vehicle charging incentives suggest the plan is already in motion.
Sector Expectations and Strategic Moves
South Korea giants entering this new arena could reshape global crypto dynamics. Companies will no longer need to establish overseas subsidiaries to invest in digital assets. This development is strategically significant for technological sovereignty. Essentially, by 2030, South Korea is positioning digital assets not only as an investment vehicle but as a core national financial infrastructure, in line with its CBDC vision.
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