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South Korea vs Nepal

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | South Korea | Nepal
South Korea

South Korea

Nepal

Nepal

Legal
Banned

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.

Nepal has banned cryptocurrency trading, mining, and transactions. The Nepal Rastra Bank declared crypto trading illegal in 2017, and the Nepal Telecommunications Authority has been directed to block crypto exchange websites. Law enforcement has arrested individuals for operating crypto exchanges. Despite the ban, some citizens use VPNs to access crypto.

Tax Type Varies
Tax Type None
Tax Rate 20%
Tax Rate N/A
Exchanges Yes Yes
Exchanges No No
Mining Yes Yes
Mining No No
Regulator FSC (Financial Services Commission), FSS, FIU (Korea Financial Intelligence Unit)
Regulator NRB (Nepal Rastra Bank)
Stablecoin Rules Under development; stablecoins subject to VASP rules
Stablecoin Rules All crypto activities banned
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
  • NRB declared all crypto trading and transactions illegal in 2017
  • Mining cryptocurrency is also prohibited
  • NTA directed to block access to crypto exchange websites
  • Arrests have been made for operating crypto trading platforms
  • NRB exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as an alternative
Sources
Sources