Authorities in South Korea are working on a regulatory framework that would permit publicly listed companies to invest in digital assets. However, early indications suggest that stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar—such as Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC)—could be excluded from the list of approved instruments.
Local reports indicate that financial regulators are finalizing a document known as the Guidelines for Corporate Cryptocurrency Trading. The framework is expected to outline how listed firms and professional investors can incorporate digital assets into their investment strategies and financial management practices.
Despite broader plans to open the market to corporate crypto investment, regulators appear inclined to block stablecoins from being used by companies. The reasoning stems from a conflict with the country’s foreign exchange legislation.
Under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, cross-border payments must pass through officially designated foreign exchange banks. Because stablecoins are not currently recognized as a lawful method for international payments, allowing corporations to invest in or transact with them could effectively bypass the existing regulatory system.
Officials worry that including these assets in the approved investment list would create a legal inconsistency, potentially enabling companies to use them in global trade settlements outside the regulated banking framework.
At the same time, lawmakers are reviewing a separate bill that could grant stablecoins official recognition as a payment method. The proposal has been under committee review since October 2025.
Separately, the country’s central bank has previously suggested that if stablecoins are introduced domestically, they should be issued by banks rather than private companies.
For businesses, the potential restriction could be disappointing. Many companies involved in international commerce have been waiting years for the green light to allocate capital to crypto assets.
Some firms have specifically urged regulators to allow the use of Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) in international transactions. According to representatives of the corporate sector, stablecoins can significantly streamline cross-border trade by enabling faster and cheaper payments, providing access to real-time exchange rates, and offering more efficient tools for hedging against currency fluctuations in global transactions.
Nevertheless, regulators appear cautious. Officials reportedly prefer that cross-border settlements continue to flow through the traditional banking FX system while the digital asset market is still developing. Another concern is preventing uncontrolled corporate exposure to crypto investments during the early stages of regulatory adoption.Even if stablecoins are excluded from the corporate investment guidelines, companies will not be completely cut off from interacting with them. Businesses would still retain the ability to buy or sell such assets through alternative channels, including the use of personal cryptocurrency wallets like MetaMask, transactions conducted on over-the-counter (OTC) trading platforms, as well as operations carried out via foreign cryptocurrency exchanges.
According to a source familiar with the regulatory discussions, the working group responsible for drafting the corporate crypto guidelines has already finalized its position on the issue.
“The taskforce has effectively concluded its deliberations, and the decision has been made,” the source said.
The finalized guidelines are expected to be released in the coming weeks, potentially alongside further developments related to the country’s broader digital asset legislation.
In parallel, the government is also reviewing how confiscated cryptocurrencies are handled by public institutions. Finance officials recently announced plans to audit the way state agencies store and manage seized digital assets as part of wider oversight efforts.
