Chinese Cryptocurrency Investment Success in South Korea

Chinese cryptocurrency journalist and blogger Colin Wu summarized a report detailing the significant success of XRP investors in South Korea. Last year, over 70% of them profited from XRP, Bitcoin, and Ethereum.

Bitcoin ETFs Ensure New BTC Investor Inflow

The report indicates that last year, about 33% of new investors entered the South Korean crypto market. Those who held crypto for less than six months were influenced by Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election victory. In contrast, those holding assets for six months to a year were encouraged by the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024.

> A survey in South Korea shows that more than 70% of South Korean investors made a profit in 2024. The assets with the largest holdings are BTC, XRP, and ETH, with Upbit and Binance being the most utilized exchanges. YouTube and Telegram serve as the primary channels for crypto information.
> — Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 27, 2025

Currently, Korean investors await further U.S. governmental actions concerning Bitcoin and potential crypto-friendly policies. Trump signed an executive order to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), yet immediate purchases are not expected due to nearly 200,000 Bitcoins already held that were seized from illegal activities, including the notorious Silk Road dark web marketplace.

Additionally, the U.S. maintains a stockpile of crypto assets, including various altcoins, which could be sold based on investment strategies; however, Bitcoin will likely be held in the SBR for years.

XRP, BTC, ETH’s Role for Korean Investors

XRP ranks highest among South Korean investors’ holdings, making up 16.44% of their portfolios, while Bitcoin leads with 21.31%. Other included assets are ETH at 7.75%, DOGE at 6.59%, SOL at 4.04%, SHIB at 1.69%, and PEPE at 2.36%. Bitcoin’s popularity is attributed to the impact of spot Bitcoin ETFs.

South Koreans primarily used Binance and Upbit for trading in 2024, while obtaining information mainly through Telegram and YouTube. In 2025, new listings included DOGE and various meme coins on Bithumb. Reports suggest around 75% of crypto investors in Korea expect a bullish trend for Bitcoin in 2025, anticipating the price to exceed 150 million WON ($102,000).