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Italy vs South Korea

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Italy | South Korea
Italy

Italy

South Korea

South Korea

Legal
Legal

Cryptocurrency is legal in Italy with a 26% capital gains tax on crypto profits exceeding €2,000 per year. VASPs must register with the OAM (Agents and Mediators Register). Italy was one of the first EU countries to require VASP registration and has aligned with MiCA.

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 Capital gains
Tax Type Varies
Tax Rate 26%
Tax Rate 20%
Exchanges Yes Yes
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator OAM (Organismo Agenti e Mediatori), Consob, Banca d'Italia
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Stablecoin Rules Regulated under EU MiCA framework
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Key Points
  • 26% substitute tax on crypto capital gains exceeding €2,000 per year (since 2023 budget law)
  • Italian government proposed raising crypto tax to 42% for 2025 but this was reduced back to 26%
  • VASPs must register with OAM and comply with AML requirements
  • Crypto holdings above €51,645.69 were previously the threshold; new regime simplified this
  • MiCA framework applicable from December 2024
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