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Ethiopia vs South Korea

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Ethiopia | South Korea
Ethiopia

Ethiopia

South Korea

South Korea

Restricted
Legal

Ethiopia's Proclamation No. 1359/2024 explicitly prohibits cryptocurrency for payment transactions but allows the NBE to issue future guidelines on digital assets. Crypto mining is legal and actively growing, with Ethiopia emerging as a major Bitcoin mining destination leveraging hydroelectric power. A comprehensive regulatory framework is under development.

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 No No
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator National Bank of Ethiopia
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
  • Proclamation No. 1359/2024 prohibits cryptocurrency for payment transactions
  • NBE authorized to issue future directives on crypto assets and CBDCs
  • Crypto mining is legal and rapidly expanding, leveraging hydroelectric power
  • Ethiopia has become one of the fastest-growing Bitcoin mining destinations globally
  • Comprehensive digital asset regulatory framework under development
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