South Korean local cryptocurrency projects continue to move overseas due to the regulatory vacuum caused by the ICO ban, and experts are calling for the Basic Law to clarify the standards for repatriation
According to South Korean media Dailian, the Digital Asset Exchange Alliance (DAXA) has released the "2026 Digital Asset Policy Compilation." Professor Zhao Zaiyu from Hanyang University pointed out that since the ICO ban in 2017, domestic cryptocurrency projects in South Korea have continuously moved their issuance entities and business foundations overseas due to regulatory gaps. The token issuance of Klaytn is handled by a Singaporean entity, and Wemade's WEMIX is also issued by a Singaporean entity. Subsequently, Metabora moved to Dubai, and NeoFin relocated its foundation to Abu Dhabi, with the trend of industry outflow continuing to intensify.
Experts indicate that the core obstacles are the regulatory gaps between domestic and foreign issuers and the difficulties in opening corporate bank accounts. They emphasize that "what Korea needs is not looser regulations, but clearer rules," calling for the Digital Asset Basic Law to clarify the licensing standards for issuance, custody, verification, and other business activities, and to establish special procedures for the return of core functions from overseas to the domestic market.






