South Korea’s public pension fund, the Korean Teachers’ Credit Union (KTCU), is reportedly looking to gain exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) via a crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF). KTCU, one of the largest institutional investors in South Korea, is considering investing in a pure Bitcoin ETF or Bitcoin-linked ETFs in the first half of 2022, local news agency The Korea Economic Daily reported Monday. According to the report, KTCU is considering investing in several Bitcoin ETF products, including those by South Korean asset management firm Mirae Asset Global Investments. The company launched two ETFs tracking the value of Bitcoin futures via its …

The rapid growth of mainstream attention toward cryptocurrencies has forced the hands of numerous governments to create their digital alternatives. Over the past few years, interest from various jurisdictions has been pointed towards central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) — digital versions of government-issued fiat. Given their capacity to use blockchain technology to facilitate a simplified fiscal policy — not to mention calibrate privacy features and even provide cross-border banking services to the unbanked — CBDCs continue to gain even more attention from various governments worldwide. Already, surveys show more than 80% of central banks are researching CBDCs, with some working …

Lawmakers belonging to South Korea’s opposition People Power Party have prepared a fresh challenge to the planned crypto tax law. According to The Korea Herald, opposition lawmakers are advocating for a one-year extension to the start of crypto taxation in the country. As previously reported by Cointelegraph, South Korea’s crypto tax regime that will see the imposition of a 20% levy on cryptocurrency gains above 2.5 million Korean won ($2,100) will come into effect in 2022. Apart from the one-year delay, the lawmakers are also pushing for a tiered tax levy for crypto that is in line with the Financial …

The Chinese government-backed blockchain project, the Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), continues expanding its global presence by setting up two new portals in Turkey and Uzbekistan. Red Date Technology, the architect behind the BSN project, has signed an agreement with a Turkish consultancy firm, Turkish Chinese Business Matching Center (TUCEM), to launch two international BSN portals in Turkey and Uzbekistan in late December 2021. Established in 2006, TUSEM became a major economic cooperation hub between Turkey and China. The company will be the exclusive operator of the two new BSN portals offering blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) in Turkey and Uzbekistan. The new portals …

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit will soon halt services for unverified users. On Saturday, the company officially announced a set of changes to its customer verification system in compliance with South Korea’s mandatory Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements. According to the announcement, Upbit will start gradually limiting services for unverified users this week, restricting unverified customers from transacting more than 1 million Korean won ($850) at a time, effective Wednesday, Oct. 6. “Once customer verification is completed, the 1 million won limit will be lifted; members who submit an order with less than 1 million won can proceed with customer verification …

Lawmakers in South Korea settled a long political battle on Thursday and headed off moves by the ruling party to delay the implementation of the controversial crypto tax legislation. In a meeting on Tuesday but only reported on Thursday, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and key Democratic lawmakers from the National Assembly, South Korea’s legislature, are said to have come to a final agreement that the crypto tax will be carried out as planned The Korean crypto tax will tax crypto profits similar to those generated by traditional stocks. It will levy a 20% tax on income generated by crypto transactions …

Fall is traditionally the open season for United States financial regulators. The thicket of news coming out of Capitol Hill, federal courts and various regulatory agencies can feel overwhelming around this time, especially for those of us residing outside of these venerable institutions’ purview. It is also clear that the outcomes of these legal battles will have tremendous effects on crypto markets, adoption and, generally, the relationship between state power and the industry worldwide. But that is not the only reason for anyone interested in how the old world adapts to digital finance to follow U.S. developments closely. Gensler of …

Bybit, one of the world’s top cryptocurrency derivatives exchanges, will halt some of its services to South Korean users ahead of a licensing deadline. The exchange officially announced on Friday that it will discontinue Korean language support from its platforms as well as its official South Korean community on social media. The suspensions will take effect starting on Monday. "Korean traders may still use Bybit products and services. These products and services just won't be offered in the Korean language any more," a spokesperson for Bybit told Cointelegraph. Bybit will remove the functions ahead of a Sept. 24 deadline for …

South Korean crypto exchange Gopax, which is backed by Digital Currency Group, is facing potential closure ahead of the country’s fast-approaching deadline for platforms to submit their requests for an official operating license. To be eligible for a license, all crypto exchanges must show evidence that they are operating using real-name accounts at South Korean banks. The catch is that domestic banks have, for the most part, refused to engage in any risk assessment process for the country’s numerous small and medium-sized exchanges and have only been confident enough to service the country’s top four trading platforms: Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit …

South Korean Minister of Strategy and Finance Hong Nam-ki has vowed that the controversial crypto tax code will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, despite moves this week by the majority Democratic Party to postpone it to 2023. The tax code will levy a 20% tax on income generated by crypto transactions in excess of 2.5 million Korean won, or about $2,100. International media this week reported that the Democratic Party, which holds a slim majority in South Korea’s National Assembly, intends to have passed a bill postponing the crypto tax law by the end of October. But the …

Noh Woong-rae, a member of South Korea’s National Assembly and a representative of the country’s ruling party, reportedly plans to postpone a bill clarifying the taxation of crypto until 2023. According to a Thursday report from Naver News, Noh said the Democratic Party of Korea plans to push back against the intention of South Korea’s Ministry of Finance to tax virtual assets starting in 2022. According to the South Korean lawmaker, it’s currently too difficult to secure data to be used for taxes on crypto exchanges and through P2P transactions. “In a situation where the relevant taxation infrastructure is not …

One of South Korea’s leading blockchain evangelists is embarking on another huge blockchain fundraise following the success of his first. Simon Seojoon Kim is planning to raise $173 million for a second blockchain fund following the success of the initial one, which netted $120 million from investors in December 2020. Specifics regarding the new fund and its potential investors are thin on the ground, however. Kim, dubbed “the Jedi Master of cryptocurrency” by Sean Park, a senior partner at Hong Kong-based Boston Consulting Group, co-founded the blockchain and crypto venture capital firm Hashed in 2018. The firm invests in crypto …