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South Korea vs Latvia

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | South Korea | Latvia
South Korea

South Korea

Latvia

Latvia

Legal
Legal

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.

Cryptocurrency is legal in Latvia and regulated under the EU MiCA framework. Since 2023, the financial regulator FKTK merged into Latvijas Banka, which now oversees VASP registration and AML compliance. Capital gains from crypto are taxed at 20%. Latvia has been proactive in implementing EU-wide crypto standards.

Tax Type Varies
Tax Type Capital gains
Tax Rate 20%
Tax Rate 20%
Exchanges Yes Yes
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Regulator FKTK (Finanšu un kapitāla tirgus komisija) / Latvijas Banka
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Stablecoin Rules Regulated under EU MiCA framework
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
  • VASPs must register with Latvijas Banka and comply with AML/CFT requirements
  • Capital gains from crypto taxed at 20% personal income tax rate
  • MiCA framework applies from December 2024, transitioning existing registrations
  • Latvia transposed the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive for crypto oversight
  • Latvijas Banka absorbed FKTK regulatory functions in January 2023
Sources
Sources