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Bithumb CEO under investigation by South Korean police for bribery suspicion
the Public Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in South Korea has registered Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won as a suspect in a bribery case, which is linked to independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee. According to a former assistant's testimony, Kim Byung-kee asked Lee Jae-won in November 2024 to arrange jobs for his two sons at Bithumb. They joined the company two months later and worked for about six months. Kim Byung-kee also previously requested Bithumb to hire one of his assistants, who has been working at the company since September 2025. (The Block)
Bithumb Faces Another Regulatory Storm as South Korean Police Investigate Lawmaker's Influence in Hiring Allegations
Odaily News: South Korean police recently raided cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb to investigate allegations that independent lawmaker Kim Byung-gi used his influence to secure a job for his son. According to reports, Kim’s son joined Bithumb in January 2025 and worked there for about six months. Police are investigating whether external pressure or preferential treatment was involved in the hiring process. Additionally, the case has also implicated Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest crypto exchange Upbit, with the investigation scope expanding from simple hiring issues to potential abuse of power and conflicts of interest.Investigators noted that during his tenure on the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, Kim Byung-gi raised multiple inquiries against Dunamu during committee meetings, sparking external speculation that he may have been seeking benefits for the company where his son was employed.It is understood that police have previously questioned executives from several cryptocurrency firms and have conducted search and seizure operations at Bithumb’s headquarters and Bithumb Financial Tower. Kim Byung-gi himself is under investigation on 13 charges, including allegations related to job placements, bribery for nominations, and requests concerning university transfers. He has stated that he believes he will ultimately be able to prove his innocence.Notably, Bithumb has been facing sustained regulatory pressure recently. In March this year, South Korea’s financial regulator fined Bithumb approximately $24.5 million for violations related to KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) regulations, and issued a six-month partial business suspension order. However, the Seoul court temporarily suspended the penalty in late April, and the relevant legal proceedings are still ongoing. (Cointelegraph)
South Korea Tightens Control Over Crypto Exchange APIs; DAXA Requires Blocking of Suspicious Shared Keys
The Korea Digital Asset Exchange Alliance (DAXA) has introduced new compliance standards requiring local cryptocurrency exchanges to invalidate API keys suspected of being improperly shared by users, thereby strengthening oversight of automated trading. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) stated that automated trading currently accounts for approximately 30% of trading volume in Korea’s cryptocurrency market. Under the new rules, exchanges including Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax will enhance API monitoring, issue warnings upon detecting suspicious sharing behavior, require users to re-authenticate, and implement an IP allowlist mechanism to restrict API access to authorized addresses only.
South Korea’s virtual asset trading volume has dropped to approximately 8% of the KOSPI, and the Bitcoin South Korean premium remains negative.
According to Digital Asset, domestic virtual asset trading volume in South Korea has fallen to approximately 8% of KOSPI trading volume—less than one-tenth. Media statistics show that, as of May 26, the ratio of trading volume on Korean won-based exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax) to KOSPI trading volume stood at just 8%. The report notes that South Korea’s virtual asset market has been weakening continuously since the second half of 2025; it declined sharply following a large-scale futures liquidation event in October 2025, while the KOSPI strengthened amid a semiconductor upcycle and supportive government policies. Additionally, according to CryptoQuant data, the Bitcoin Korea Premium indicator has been negative for most of the time since March, reflecting weak buying demand in the Korean market.
Korea's National Tax Service is developing a $2.2 million AI system to track cryptocurrency transactions and crack down on tax evaders.
Odaily Planet Daily reported that the National Tax Service of South Korea is building an artificial intelligence system costing approximately $2.2 million to monitor cryptocurrency transactions and pursue tax evaders, with completion expected by the end of 2026. This system will integrate exchange transaction records with blockchain data to identify suspicious transactions such as money laundering, unreported gifts, and offshore tax evasion, and will extend its tracking capabilities to non-custodial wallets. The National Tax Service is coordinating implementation details with five major exchanges, including Upbit and Bithumb, with the final tax guidelines anticipated by the end of 2026. A survey by the Financial Services Commission of South Korea revealed that the country has over 11 million verified crypto investors, although growth has slowed; the growth rate of tradable accounts fell from 25% in the first half of 2024 to 3% in the second half.
Value of Cryptocurrency Holdings by South Korean Investors Halved, Investors Shift to Stocks
According to Odaily, the value of cryptocurrency holdings held by South Korean investors has more than halved over the past year, dropping from 121.8 trillion won at the end of January 2025 to 60.6 trillion won (approximately $41.4 billion) by the end of February 2026.Daily trading volume on the five major exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit, Coinone, and Gopax—fell from $11.6 billion in December 2024 to $3 billion in February 2026. Korean won deposits on these exchanges also decreased from 10.7 trillion won to 7.8 trillion won.Stablecoin holdings declined from 597 million units in December 2024 to 41 million units in February 2026.South Korean regulators plan to implement revised anti-money laundering rules in August, under which crypto transactions involving overseas exchanges or private wallets exceeding 10 million won will be automatically flagged as suspicious. Additionally, a 22% tax on crypto gains is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Bithumb Suspends Virtual Asset Deposit and Withdrawal Transactions Related to Heleket
According to an official announcement, South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has announced the immediate suspension of all virtual asset deposits and withdrawals related to the overseas payment platform Heleket, effective May 21, 2026. The announcement states that Heleket is suspected of involvement in illegal activities such as money laundering and terrorist financing. Bithumb stated that this measure is taken to comply with relevant regulations, including the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information and the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, and to safeguard users’ assets. Bithumb also warned that using unverified overseas services may expose users to risks such as hacking attacks and disruptions to deposit and withdrawal services.
Aethir Prevents Cross-Chain Bridge Vulnerability Attack and Promises Compensation
Decentralized GPU cloud computing infrastructure platform Aethir confirmed that its Ethereum-related bridge contract was attacked. The team promptly disconnected the affected contract and, in collaboration with major exchanges, blacklisted the hacker’s wallet, limiting losses to under $90,000. Earlier, blockchain security firm PeckShield estimated losses at $400,000. The attacker exploited Aethir’s cross-chain smart contract, AethirOFTAdapter, to transfer stolen funds from BNB Chain to Tron. Aethir stated that its Ethereum mainnet ATH token supply remains unaffected. It plans to release a detailed compensation plan and incident analysis next week and will collaborate with exchanges including Binance, Upbit, and Bithumb to freeze funds. Web3 security platform ZeroShadow is assisting with the investigation. In 2025, Aethir achieved $127.8 million in revenue and deployed over 440,000 GPU containers globally.
Bithumb to List SPX (SPX6900)/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will launch the SPX (SPX6900)/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb to Launch SPACE/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the SPACE/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb to Launch CTR/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the CTR/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb to List SLX/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the SLX/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb to Launch HNT/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the HNT/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb to Launch BILL/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the BILL/KRW trading pair.
Related news
Bithumb to List SPX (SPX6900)/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will launch the SPX (SPX6900)/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb to Launch SPACE/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the SPACE/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb CEO under investigation by South Korean police for bribery suspicion
the Public Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in South Korea has registered Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won as a suspect in a bribery case, which is linked to independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee. According to a former assistant's testimony, Kim Byung-kee asked Lee Jae-won in November 2024 to arrange jobs for his two sons at Bithumb. They joined the company two months later and worked for about six months. Kim Byung-kee also previously requested Bithumb to hire one of his assistants, who has been working at the company since September 2025. (The Block)
Bithumb to Launch CTR/KRW Trading Pair
According to the official announcement, Bithumb will list the CTR/KRW trading pair.
Bithumb Faces Another Regulatory Storm as South Korean Police Investigate Lawmaker's Influence in Hiring Allegations
Odaily News: South Korean police recently raided cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb to investigate allegations that independent lawmaker Kim Byung-gi used his influence to secure a job for his son. According to reports, Kim’s son joined Bithumb in January 2025 and worked there for about six months. Police are investigating whether external pressure or preferential treatment was involved in the hiring process. Additionally, the case has also implicated Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest crypto exchange Upbit, with the investigation scope expanding from simple hiring issues to potential abuse of power and conflicts of interest.Investigators noted that during his tenure on the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, Kim Byung-gi raised multiple inquiries against Dunamu during committee meetings, sparking external speculation that he may have been seeking benefits for the company where his son was employed.It is understood that police have previously questioned executives from several cryptocurrency firms and have conducted search and seizure operations at Bithumb’s headquarters and Bithumb Financial Tower. Kim Byung-gi himself is under investigation on 13 charges, including allegations related to job placements, bribery for nominations, and requests concerning university transfers. He has stated that he believes he will ultimately be able to prove his innocence.Notably, Bithumb has been facing sustained regulatory pressure recently. In March this year, South Korea’s financial regulator fined Bithumb approximately $24.5 million for violations related to KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) regulations, and issued a six-month partial business suspension order. However, the Seoul court temporarily suspended the penalty in late April, and the relevant legal proceedings are still ongoing. (Cointelegraph)
South Korea’s cryptocurrency market trading volume shrinks to 2% of the KOSPI’s, as investors shift substantial capital to the stock market.
According to South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper, Korean investors’ interest in crypto assets has rapidly waned amid persistently low crypto yields. On May 29, the combined 24-hour trading volume of South Korea’s five major crypto exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax—stood at just KRW 2.71 trillion, while the KOSPI’s trading volume on the same day reached KRW 118.27 trillion—meaning the crypto market accounted for only 2.03% of the KOSPI’s total. This stands in stark contrast to one year earlier: on July 24, 2025, the crypto market’s trading volume hit KRW 16.92 trillion—surpassing the KOSPI’s KRW 15 trillion. Since then, the KOSPI’s trading volume has surged by 680%, while the crypto market’s volume has plunged by 84%, clearly indicating a massive capital shift toward equities.