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Bulgaria vs South Korea

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Bulgaria | South Korea
Bulgaria

Bulgaria

South Korea

South Korea

Legal
Legal

Cryptocurrency is legal in Bulgaria and subject to a flat 10% tax on capital gains, one of the lowest in the EU. Bulgaria adopted the EU's MiCA framework and requires crypto service providers to register. The country has a notable history with crypto due to a large government Bitcoin seizure in 2017.

South Korea is one of the world's largest crypto markets. The Virtual Asset Users Protection Act (VAUPA), effective July 2024, provides comprehensive investor protection including requirements for exchanges to hold user assets in cold storage and carry insurance. All VASPs must register with FIU and comply with strict AML rules under the Specific Financial Information Act. A 20% crypto gains tax (above KRW 2.5 million exemption, raised from the original 250K KRW threshold) has been deferred multiple times and is now scheduled for January 2027.

Tax Type Capital gains
Tax Type Varies
Tax Rate 10%
Tax Rate 20%
Exchanges Yes Yes
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator NRA (National Revenue Agency), FSC (Financial Supervision Commission)
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Stablecoin Rules Regulated under EU MiCA framework
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Key Points
  • Flat 10% personal income tax rate applies to crypto capital gains
  • VASPs must register with the NRA for AML compliance
  • MiCA framework applicable from December 2024
  • Bulgaria reportedly seized approximately 200,000 BTC in a 2017 crime bust (status debated)
  • No specific crypto legislation beyond EU directives and general tax law
Key Points
  • Virtual Asset Users Protection Act (VAUPA) effective July 2024 — major investor protection law
  • VASPs must register with FIU and partner with real-name verified bank accounts
  • 20% national tax (22% effective incl. 2% local income surtax) above KRW 2.5M annual exemption (deferred to January 2027)
  • Exchanges must hold 80%+ of user assets in cold wallets and carry insurance/reserves
  • Only won-denominated trading pairs allowed on major exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit)
Sources
Sources