Over 16 Million South Koreans Now Invest in Cryptocurrency

The number of crypto investors in South Korea has now exceeded 16 million, bringing it closer to the number of stock investors in the country. While traditional stocks remain the preferred investment, digital assets continue gaining popularity, attracting new and experienced investors.

Crypto adoption in South Korea

Reports indicate that 16.29 million individuals hold accounts across South Korea’s top five virtual asset exchanges. The data, submitted to Rep. Cha Gyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party, includes users from platforms such as Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax. To prevent duplicate counts, adjustments were made for individuals using multiple exchanges.

The total number of crypto holders now represents approximately 32% of the South Korean population. The investor count surpassed 14 million in March 2024, and with over 500,000 new participants joining after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, the figure climbed beyond 15 million.

Investor Demographics and Exchange Statistics

Of the 16 million crypto investors, about 15 million are active on major exchanges. Males in their 30s and 40s make up 40% of the investor base. Female investors in their 50s also hold significant digital assets, particularly among high-net-worth individuals.

Upbit leads with 9.2 million users, followed by Coinone with 3.2 million. Bithumb recorded 2.36 million accounts, marking a 77.4% rise in one year, mainly due to aggressive marketing. Korbit and Gopax have 770,000 and 150,000 users, respectively.

In terms of age, investors in their 30s account for 4.51 million, followed by 3.97 million in their 40s. The number of investors under 30 is 2.92 million, while 2.64 million are in their 50s and 1.12 million in their 60s. Among male investors, 3.1 million in their 30s and 2.67 million in their 40s collectively represent 38.1% of the total investor population.

Crypto holdings among national assembly officials

A large portion of South Korean crypto investors hold smaller amounts. Around 12.1 million individuals, or 83.1% of investors, own less than 1 million won ($680) in digital assets. Meanwhile, 1.57 million holds between 1 million and 10 million won. Approximately 830,000 investors possess assets ranging from 10 million to 100 million won, while around 160,000 own more than 100 million.

Crypto holdings among South Korean National Assembly officials have surged, nearly tripling over the past year. According to the 2025 property change report from the National Assembly’s Public Officials Ethics Committee, the total reported holdings reached 1.2 billion won, a significant rise from 401.63 million won the previous year.

The number of reported digital asset cases grew 48.4% year-on-year, including holdings by officials, their spouses, and direct descendants. Kim In-young, a policy research committee member, disclosed the highest amount, with 530 million won in crypto holdings spread across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and other significant digital assets.

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