Chainalysis: South Korea's Crypto Economy Reaches $449.1 Billion, Leading East Asia; AI Token Trading Becomes the Main Theme

Chainalysis pointed out in its "East Asia Crypto Adoption Report" that from July 2025 to June 2026, South Korea's crypto economy will reach $449.1 billion, a 12.3% increase from the previous period, continuing to rank first in East Asia. During the same period, Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan's crypto economies are estimated to be $228.3 billion, $192.2 billion, $176.3 billion, and $140.4 billion, respectively. The growth in South Korea is mainly driven by increased capital flow to trading platforms, with an additional influx of approximately $51.1 billion. AI token trading has become the largest theme in the market, and by June 2026, AI-related crypto assets are expected to hold the largest share in KRW trading, surpassing payment tokens like XRP in popularity. Worldcoin (WLD) recorded a trading volume of $7.41 billion during the observation period, with other active varieties including SAHARA, VIRTUAL, BIO, and NEAR. The proportion of AI token trading priced in KRW is about 19.5 times that of the yen market, indicating that retail investors are extending their AI investment preferences into the crypto market. Nevertheless, institutional funds in South Korea are still in the preparation stage, with banks and brokerages forming digital asset teams to promote stablecoin, custody, and tokenization pilots, but direct corporate participation in crypto investment has yet to scale. If the crypto asset income tax planned for implementation in 2027 is realized as scheduled and trading restrictions for enterprises are eased, the market landscape may face a reassessment.

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