News Heat Trend
South Korea FSS Upgrades Anti-Fraud System, Crypto Assets Included in Voice Phishing Compensation Coverage
According to Cryptopolitan, South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has launched a three-month fraud refund system reconstruction project with a budget of approximately 119 million Korean won. This upgrade aims to align with the revised "Telecommunications Fraud Damage Compensation Act" amended on March 31 this year—the bill will officially take effect on October 1, formally incorporating virtual assets into the scope of "damaged property" and "refundable property." The new system will support calculating compensation amounts based on token type and quantity, using the Korean won value at the time funds were frozen as a reference benchmark, while also possessing the ability to disentangle mixed fraud funds across multiple accounts. Major exchanges such as Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX will be required to assume anti-fraud and victim relief obligations equivalent to those of banks at that time, including verifying transaction purposes, monitoring suspicious funds, and freezing suspected accounts.
韩国加密交易市场洗牌：五大交易所上半年交易额同比下降54.6%，中小交易所寻求合作重组
TechFlow News, August 1, according to South Korean media NexBlock, South Korea's virtual asset market trading volume continues to shrink, and the competitive landscape among the five major KRW exchanges is changing. During the market downturn, funds are further concentrating on platforms with leading liquidity, while small and medium-sized exchanges are seeking breakthroughs through cooperation with securities companies, institutional market positioning, and business restructuring. The focus of future competition will no longer be just trading volume, but stablecoin liquidity, traditional financial cooperation, institutional market expansion, and regulatory compliance capabilities. Data shows that in the first half of this year, South Korea's five major KRW exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, Gopax) accumulated trading volume of about $366.58 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 54.6%. From July 1 to 27, the five major exchanges accumulated trading volume of about 17.34 trillion KRW, a decrease of 16.9% compared to the same period last month. Among them, Upbit's trading volume was about 11.69 trillion KRW; although down 10%, its market share rose from 62.3% to 67.4%. Bithumb's trading volume dropped to 4.71 trillion KRW, with its share decreasing from 30.7% to 27.1%, expanding the gap between the two to 40.3 percentage points.
Coinone Major Shareholder Change Approved: OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities Complete New Shareholder Structure Filing
Odaily Planet Daily reported that South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone announced on July 22 that it had received approval from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to complete its major shareholder change declaration, formally establishing a new shareholder structure centered around Korea Investment & Securities, OKX Ventures, and Com2uS Holdings. Coinone stated that it will leverage the enhanced compliance and technical capabilities of its new shareholders to upgrade digital asset trading services and accelerate its transition into a comprehensive blockchain financial platform. (EDaily)
Coinone announces strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings
on June 4, Coinone announced its strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings at its headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Previously, Korea Investment Securities and OKX had each acquired a 20% stake in Coinone, becoming its third-largest shareholders. Coinone CEO Cha Myunghoon retains his position as the largest shareholder with a 30.36% stake, while Com2uS Holdings continues as the second-largest shareholder with a 24.54% stake. Coinone stated that this is a strategic investment aimed at bridging traditional finance and the crypto asset market, rather than a purely financial one. OKX will serve as Coinone's global technology partner, providing its accumulated technical expertise and support, including trading technology and wallet infrastructure. Korea Investment Securities will offer support in traditional financial compliance and trust systems, while Com2uS Holdings will provide content IP and IT infrastructure. Coinone indicated that in the short term, it will leverage the capabilities of its partners to strengthen its competitiveness in the South Korean crypto asset market. In the medium term, it plans to launch digital financial products such as STOs and stablecoins within the legal framework. Cha Myunghoon stated that after bringing in new shareholders, the continuity and stability of the company's operations will be maintained.
OKX Ventures and Korean investment securities firm KIS each invested approximately $53 million in Coinone.
According to The Block, OKX Ventures and Korean investment securities firm KIS will each invest 80 billion Korean won (approximately $53 million), acquiring 19.6% equity stakes in South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone; the transaction is pending regulatory approval.
OKX confirmed to invest $53 million to acquire a 20% stake in Coinone, a South Korean crypto exchange
OKX Ventures, the investment arm of OKX, announced it will acquire a 19.6% stake in Coinone, one of South Korea's five licensed digital asset trading platforms. Coinone has signed a strategic equity investment agreement with OKX Ventures, Korea Investment & Securities (KIS), as well as Com2uS and its affiliates.OKX Ventures and KIS will each invest 80 billion KRW ($53 million). Upon completion of the investment and receipt of regulatory approval, both companies will each hold a 19.6% stake in the platform. Together, they will become the third-largest shareholders of the South Korean exchange, trailing only Coinone CEO Cha Myung-hoon (27.8%) and Com2uS Holdings and its affiliates (25%).According to the announcement, the investment will be carried out through a combination of purchasing secondary market shares from Cha and Com2uS, as well as subscribing to newly issued shares. (The Block)
Core DAO Plans Emergency Hard Fork as Validators Receive Excess CORE Rewards
Odaily News: Blockchain project Core DAO has announced a coordinated emergency hard fork, caused by validators receiving CORE rewards exceeding the blockchain's originally scheduled issuance. Core DAO stated that the incident is under control, malicious validators can no longer continue to obtain excess rewards, and the upgrade will not roll back the network or revoke confirmed transactions.Core DAO previously stated that a small number of validators had accumulated rewards significantly higher than the protocol's set issuance, and that the incident only involved reward distribution, with user assets remaining secure. Coinbase, Bithumb, Coinone, Bitget, and LBank had restricted CORE deposits, withdrawals, or transfers.Core DAO has not yet disclosed the amount of excess CORE issued, the duration of the related activity, whether the extra tokens entered circulation, or the cause of the vulnerability, and stated that it will publish a technical post-mortem report. (Cointelegraph)
OKX Plans to Join Korea Investment & Securities in Acquiring Approximately 20% Stake in Coinone
Odaily sources have revealed that OKX and Korea Investment & Securities are in discussions to each acquire about a 20% stake in Coinone. The specific investment strategy is likely structured around issuing new shares rather than selling existing ones, aiming to maximize capital inflow. This equity participation appears to be primarily a financial investment and will not alter Coinone's management control.Currently, Coinone's major shareholders include The One Group (34.30% stake), Com2uS Holdings [063080] (21.95% stake), CEO Cha Myung-hoon (19.14% stake), and Com2uS Plus (16.47% stake).Industry observers believe OKX may not limit itself to a simple financial investment in the future and could also seek to participate in management or gain substantive influence. If the acquisition is successful, this transaction would be the second time in history that a major overseas exchange has attempted to gain management control of a Korean won-based exchange, following Binance's acquisition of a stake in Streami (Gopax).
Core DAO Plans Emergency Hard Fork as Validators Receive Excess CORE Rewards
Odaily News: Blockchain project Core DAO has announced a coordinated emergency hard fork, caused by validators receiving CORE rewards exceeding the blockchain's originally scheduled issuance. Core DAO stated that the incident is under control, malicious validators can no longer continue to obtain excess rewards, and the upgrade will not roll back the network or revoke confirmed transactions.Core DAO previously stated that a small number of validators had accumulated rewards significantly higher than the protocol's set issuance, and that the incident only involved reward distribution, with user assets remaining secure. Coinbase, Bithumb, Coinone, Bitget, and LBank had restricted CORE deposits, withdrawals, or transfers.Core DAO has not yet disclosed the amount of excess CORE issued, the duration of the related activity, whether the extra tokens entered circulation, or the cause of the vulnerability, and stated that it will publish a technical post-mortem report. (Cointelegraph)
Korean Crypto Market Faces Emerging "Hard-to-Exit" Risk: Nearly 30% of Assets Tradable on Only One of Five Major Exchanges
According to South Korean media outlet Daum, an analysis of the public APIs of South Korea's top five KRW exchanges, Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit and GOPAX, as well as CoinGecko, reveals that after eliminating duplicate assets, the five exchanges collectively support approximately 606 crypto assets, of which 164 (27.1%) are listed on only one exchange, and another 324 (53.5%) are traded on two or fewer exchanges.
South Korea FSS Upgrades Anti-Fraud System, Crypto Assets Included in Voice Phishing Compensation Coverage
According to Cryptopolitan, South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has launched a three-month fraud refund system reconstruction project with a budget of approximately 119 million Korean won. This upgrade aims to align with the revised "Telecommunications Fraud Damage Compensation Act" amended on March 31 this year—the bill will officially take effect on October 1, formally incorporating virtual assets into the scope of "damaged property" and "refundable property." The new system will support calculating compensation amounts based on token type and quantity, using the Korean won value at the time funds were frozen as a reference benchmark, while also possessing the ability to disentangle mixed fraud funds across multiple accounts. Major exchanges such as Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX will be required to assume anti-fraud and victim relief obligations equivalent to those of banks at that time, including verifying transaction purposes, monitoring suspicious funds, and freezing suspected accounts.
Coinone Major Shareholder Change Approved: OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities Complete New Shareholder Structure Filing
Odaily Planet Daily reported that South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone announced on July 22 that it had received approval from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to complete its major shareholder change declaration, formally establishing a new shareholder structure centered around Korea Investment & Securities, OKX Ventures, and Com2uS Holdings. Coinone stated that it will leverage the enhanced compliance and technical capabilities of its new shareholders to upgrade digital asset trading services and accelerate its transition into a comprehensive blockchain financial platform. (EDaily)
South Korean Virtual Asset Exchanges See Sharp Decline in New Listings, Trading Volume Halved
According to EToday, South Korea's top five virtual asset exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, Gopax) added only 117 new trading listings in the first half of the year, a 44% decrease from 210 in the same period last year; the net increase plummeted from 191 to 49, a year-on-year decline of 74%. Meanwhile, the number of delistings surged from 19 to 68, an increase of 258%. Global virtual asset trading volume recorded $46.07 billion in June, down 34% from $70 billion in the same period last year. The shrinkage in trading volume directly compressed fee income; Dunamu (Upbit's parent company) and Bithumb's first-quarter fee income accounted for 97.49% and 99.99% of operating revenue respectively, highlighting the issue of high dependency on retail spot trading.
Coinone announces strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings
on June 4, Coinone announced its strategic collaboration direction with Korea Investment Securities, OKX, and Com2uS Holdings at its headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Previously, Korea Investment Securities and OKX had each acquired a 20% stake in Coinone, becoming its third-largest shareholders. Coinone CEO Cha Myunghoon retains his position as the largest shareholder with a 30.36% stake, while Com2uS Holdings continues as the second-largest shareholder with a 24.54% stake. Coinone stated that this is a strategic investment aimed at bridging traditional finance and the crypto asset market, rather than a purely financial one. OKX will serve as Coinone's global technology partner, providing its accumulated technical expertise and support, including trading technology and wallet infrastructure. Korea Investment Securities will offer support in traditional financial compliance and trust systems, while Com2uS Holdings will provide content IP and IT infrastructure. Coinone indicated that in the short term, it will leverage the capabilities of its partners to strengthen its competitiveness in the South Korean crypto asset market. In the medium term, it plans to launch digital financial products such as STOs and stablecoins within the legal framework. Cha Myunghoon stated that after bringing in new shareholders, the continuity and stability of the company's operations will be maintained.
Related news
Core DAO Plans Emergency Hard Fork as Validators Receive Excess CORE Rewards
Odaily News: Blockchain project Core DAO has announced a coordinated emergency hard fork, caused by validators receiving CORE rewards exceeding the blockchain's originally scheduled issuance. Core DAO stated that the incident is under control, malicious validators can no longer continue to obtain excess rewards, and the upgrade will not roll back the network or revoke confirmed transactions.Core DAO previously stated that a small number of validators had accumulated rewards significantly higher than the protocol's set issuance, and that the incident only involved reward distribution, with user assets remaining secure. Coinbase, Bithumb, Coinone, Bitget, and LBank had restricted CORE deposits, withdrawals, or transfers.Core DAO has not yet disclosed the amount of excess CORE issued, the duration of the related activity, whether the extra tokens entered circulation, or the cause of the vulnerability, and stated that it will publish a technical post-mortem report. (Cointelegraph)
Korean Crypto Market Faces Emerging "Hard-to-Exit" Risk: Nearly 30% of Assets Tradable on Only One of Five Major Exchanges
According to South Korean media outlet Daum, an analysis of the public APIs of South Korea's top five KRW exchanges, Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit and GOPAX, as well as CoinGecko, reveals that after eliminating duplicate assets, the five exchanges collectively support approximately 606 crypto assets, of which 164 (27.1%) are listed on only one exchange, and another 324 (53.5%) are traded on two or fewer exchanges.
Weekly trading volume on South Korea's top five cryptocurrency exchanges surged 188%, hitting a 10-month high.
Weekly trading volume for South Korea's top five cryptocurrency exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, DigitalX, and Gopax—stood at approximately 31.1 trillion Korean won between 14:00 on August 21 and 14:00 on August 28, reflecting an 188.04% increase from the previous week's roughly 10.8 trillion Korean won. This marks the first time in about ten months that the figure has climbed back above 30 trillion Korean won.
Institutional accounts at South Korea's top five crypto exchanges surpass 6,500, holding approximately 43.4 billion KRW in crypto assets.
According to Yonhap News Agency, data obtained by South Korean National Assembly lawmaker Park Sang-hyuk from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) indicates that as of the end of July, the country's five largest cryptocurrency exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX—had collectively registered 6,590 corporate accounts. Bithumb topped the list with 3,280 accounts, while Upbit held 2,086, together accounting for 81.4%.
South Korea's KakaoBank Renews Real-Name Deposit Account Contract with Crypto Exchange Coinone
According to Yonhap News Agency, KakaoBank and virtual asset exchange Coinone announced that they will extend the real-name confirmed deposit and withdrawal account service contract by one year, with the contract period extended to August next year. The two parties decided to renew the contract after completing on-site inspections and evaluating the adequacy of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) system. Coinone has also completed the acceptance of the change filing with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Since the two companies first established real-name account cooperation in August 2022, this year marks the fourth year of continuous cooperation.
South Korea FSS Upgrades Anti-Fraud System, Crypto Assets Included in Voice Phishing Compensation Coverage
According to Cryptopolitan, South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has launched a three-month fraud refund system reconstruction project with a budget of approximately 119 million Korean won. This upgrade aims to align with the revised "Telecommunications Fraud Damage Compensation Act" amended on March 31 this year—the bill will officially take effect on October 1, formally incorporating virtual assets into the scope of "damaged property" and "refundable property." The new system will support calculating compensation amounts based on token type and quantity, using the Korean won value at the time funds were frozen as a reference benchmark, while also possessing the ability to disentangle mixed fraud funds across multiple accounts. Major exchanges such as Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX will be required to assume anti-fraud and victim relief obligations equivalent to those of banks at that time, including verifying transaction purposes, monitoring suspicious funds, and freezing suspected accounts.