TechFlow News, January 27: According to DL News, following U.S. President Trump’s announcement of a 25% tariff on South Korean goods, South Korea’s cryptocurrency trading volume plummeted, prompting investors to shift funds into the stock market. Data shows trading volumes on Upbit and Bithumb exchanges dropped by 51% and 35%, respectively. Meanwhile, the KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index) rose nearly 3%, hitting a record high above 5,000 points for the first time.
Ryan Yoon, an analyst at crypto analytics firm Tiger Research, stated that the gap between traditional stock markets and the crypto market has recently widened significantly. Investors, fatigued by volatility, are rotating out of cryptocurrencies and into the surging KOSPI. Despite retail investor concerns, institutional investors have not exited the market; instead, shares of South Korean “crypto stocks”—firms holding minority stakes in crypto exchanges—have risen in price.
