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Egypt vs South Korea

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Egypt | South Korea
Egypt

Egypt

South Korea

South Korea

Restricted
Legal

Egypt heavily restricts cryptocurrency. The Central Bank of Egypt prohibits banks from dealing in or facilitating crypto transactions, and a 2018 Dar al-Ifta fatwa declared crypto trading haram. However, Egypt's 2020 banking law created a framework that could eventually allow regulated crypto under CBE licensing.

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 No No
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), Dar al-Ifta
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Stablecoin Rules Not applicable under current restrictions
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Key Points
  • CBE prohibits banks and financial institutions from dealing in cryptocurrency
  • Dar al-Ifta issued a 2018 religious ruling (fatwa) against crypto trading
  • 2020 Central Bank and Banking Sector Law requires CBE approval for any crypto activity
  • Creating or operating a crypto platform without CBE license is illegal
  • Despite restrictions, Egypt has significant peer-to-peer crypto activity
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