Over 10,000 cryptocurrency investors in South Korea now hold more than 1 billion won (US$730,000) each on local exchanges, new data from the Financial Supervisory Service shows.

The five largest exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX—reported a combined 10,810 users with cryptocurrency holdings above this threshold as of August 5, 2025.

The average balance among these investors reached 2.2 billion won (US$1.61 million), far higher than the general average of 10.3 million won (US$7,519) per user.

Most high-balance investors are in their 50s, accounting for 36.9% of the group, followed by those in their 40s, 60s and above, 30s, and 20s.

Investors in their 20s, though the smallest group, had the highest average holdings at 2.7 billion won (US$1.97 million) each.

🔗 Source: The Korea Times

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Young crypto investors in Korea concentrate significantly more wealth despite smaller numbers

The 137 crypto millionaires in their 20s hold an average of 2.69 billion won each, compared to 2.23 billion won for the overall group1. This means the youngest investors actually hold about 20% more wealth per person than the typical crypto millionaire.

This concentration pattern suggests that younger Korean investors either entered the market earlier when prices were lower, made riskier bets that paid off significantly, or had access to larger initial capital despite their age.

The contrast is stark when compared to investors in their 50s, who represent the largest group with 3,994 people but hold smaller average amounts1.

2️⃣ Korea’s crypto market punches far above its demographic weight globally

Despite having less than 1% of the world’s population, South Korea accounted for about 30% of all Bitcoin trades as of 20182.

This outsized influence creates the “Kimchi Premium” phenomenon, where Bitcoin prices can trade 3-5% higher in Korea than global averages due to intense local demand3.

The current data showing roughly one in five Koreans holding crypto accounts demonstrates how this small nation continues to drive global cryptocurrency market dynamics1.

Korea’s crypto participation rate of approximately 32% of the total population far exceeds most developed nations, making regulatory decisions by Korean authorities disproportionately influential on global crypto prices4.