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Guatemala vs South Korea

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Guatemala | South Korea
Guatemala

Guatemala

South Korea

South Korea

No Regulation
Legal

Guatemala has no specific cryptocurrency regulation. The Banco de Guatemala has stated that crypto is not legal tender and not backed by the central bank, but has not banned its use. Crypto usage exists primarily for remittances from the US-based diaspora.

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 Yes Yes
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator Banguat (Banco de Guatemala), SIB
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Stablecoin Rules No stablecoin-specific regulation
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Key Points
  • No specific cryptocurrency legislation exists
  • Banguat has warned that crypto is not legal tender and not government-backed
  • Crypto is neither explicitly legal nor illegal for private use
  • Remittance use case is significant given large diaspora in the US
  • Tax treatment of crypto gains is unclear
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