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Botswana vs South Korea

Crypto regulation comparison

Botswana

Botswana

South Korea

South Korea

Legal
Legal

Botswana passed the Virtual Assets Act in 2022, first African country to issue crypto licenses. NBFIRA supervises VASPs. 4 licensed entities as of 2024. Penalties up to P250,000 or 5 years imprisonment.

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 None
Tax Type Varies
Tax Rate N/A
Tax Rate 20%
Exchanges Yes Yes
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA)
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Stablecoin Rules No stablecoin regulation
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Key Points
  • Virtual Assets Act enacted in 2022, effective Feb 22, 2022
  • First African country to issue crypto licenses via NBFIRA
  • 4 licensed VASPs as of December 2024
  • Bank of Botswana assesses domestic crypto risks as minimal
  • Unregistered crypto dealers face fines up to P250,000 or imprisonment
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)