Korean Regulator Weighs Ownership Cap and Profit Pooling for Major Crypto Exchanges

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has proposed ownership limits and profit pooling measures to regulate major exchanges and encourage institutional market participation.

VIRTUAL

Summary

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has proposed capping major shareholders of virtual asset service providers at 15%–20% and introducing fit-and-proper reviews to prevent conflicts of interest. The proposal, now submitted to the National Assembly, targets improved governance in the crypto exchange sector. This builds on earlier considerations requiring the largest won-based exchanges—controlling over 90% of the domestic market—to pool a portion of their profits into a common fund to promote institutional involvement in digital assets.

Terms & Concepts
  • Financial Services Commission (FSC): South Korea’s primary financial regulatory body overseeing securities, banking, and digital asset markets.
  • Virtual Asset Exchange: A platform for buying, selling, and trading cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based assets.
  • Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP): An entity offering services for the exchange, transfer, safekeeping, or issuance of virtual assets.