Exchanges
Bearish
South Korea crypto exchange profits fall 78% in first half
Image: CointelegraphSouth Korean crypto exchange operating profits fell 78% in the first half of 2026, according to Korea Financial Intelligence Unit data. Average daily trading volume dropped 44%. The value of crypto held domestically fell 33%, and won-denominated deposits dropped 35%. Exchange sales declined 41%. The number of accounts eligible to trade rose 0.4%.
Key points
- Operating profits at South Korean crypto exchanges fell 78% in the first half of 2026.
- Average daily trading volume dropped 44% from the previous six months.
- Domestic crypto market value fell 33%, and won-denominated deposits dropped 35%.
- Exchange sales declined 41%, while tradable accounts rose 0.4%.
Why it matters
The declines indicate lower trading activity, deposits and market value on South Korean crypto exchanges in the first half of 2026. Tradable accounts rose slightly even as exchange sales fell.
What's unclear
One report calls the KoFIU figures government data, while another says they are not classified as official national statistics.
Sources · 2 publishers
Crypto.news
Tier 2
What drove South Korea crypto exchange profits down 78%?
Coverage timeline
- First reported by Cointelegraph
- Confirmed by Crypto.news
- CryptoVideos brief published
How this brief was made. Our system found this event in 2 independent publications, summarised two complete reports with AI and checked every number above against the source text. Sources are linked in full. Not financial advice. Report an error
