Ghana vs South Korea
Crypto regulation comparison
Ghana
South Korea
Ghana has no specific cryptocurrency legislation. The Bank of Ghana has warned citizens about the risks of crypto but has not imposed an outright ban. SEC Ghana has indicated plans to develop a regulatory framework for digital assets, and the country has one of Africa's growing crypto communities.
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.
Key Points
- No specific cryptocurrency legislation or regulatory framework exists
- Bank of Ghana issued warnings about crypto risks but has not banned it
- SEC Ghana has expressed interest in developing a digital asset framework
- Ghana has high crypto adoption relative to its economy, particularly for P2P trading
- Bank of Ghana has been piloting the e-Cedi CBDC
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)
