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Dominican Republic vs South Korea

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Dominican Republic | South Korea
Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

South Korea

South Korea

Restricted
Legal

The Dominican Republic has no specific cryptocurrency legislation. The central bank (BCRD) issued statements in 2017 and 2021 warning that crypto is not legal tender and prohibiting regulated financial institutions from dealing in digital assets under Monetary Law No. 183-02. Individual use is not criminalized but operates in a restricted gray area.

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 Unclear
Tax Type Varies
Tax Rate N/A
Tax Rate 20%
Exchanges No No
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator Banco Central de la República Dominicana (BCRD), SIMV
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
  • No specific cryptocurrency legislation exists
  • BCRD prohibits regulated financial institutions from dealing in crypto
  • Crypto is not recognized as legal tender
  • No licensing framework for crypto exchanges
  • Crypto gains treated as taxable income when converted to Dominican pesos
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