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South Korea vs Sri Lanka

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | South Korea | Sri Lanka
South Korea

South Korea

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Legal
Restricted

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.

Sri Lanka has no specific cryptocurrency legislation. The CBSL has issued multiple warnings (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023) about crypto risks and has not authorized any entity to operate crypto exchanges, mining, or advisory services. Use of debit/credit cards for crypto is prohibited under the Foreign Exchange Act. The SEC has been discussed as a potential future regulator.

Tax Type Varies
Tax Type Unclear
Tax Rate 20%
Tax Rate N/A
Exchanges Yes Yes
Exchanges No No
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Regulator Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Securities and Exchange Commission
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Stablecoin Rules No stablecoin regulation
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)
Key Points
  • CBSL has issued repeated warnings about crypto risks (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023)
  • No entity authorized to operate crypto exchanges, mining, or advisory services
  • Use of debit/credit cards for crypto prohibited under Foreign Exchange Act
  • CBSL requested criminal proceedings against crypto pyramid schemes
  • SEC discussed as potential future regulatory authority for digital assets
Sources
Sources
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