Partner Attorney Sinyoung Choi of Cha & Kwon Law Offices stated that the Korean digital asset market is entering a major regulatory turning point for the first time in approximately nine years since the comprehensive ban on ICOs in 2017. According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s 2026 financial supervision briefing for the digital IT sector, domestic digital asset issuance (ICO), which had previously been prohibited, is expected to be brought into the formal regulatory framework. This development signals a policy shift aimed at bringing the digital asset ecosystem out of regulatory ambiguity and managing it within a clear legal framework under the forthcoming Digital Asset Basic Act.
 
A key component of the reform is the establishment of subordinate regulations under the Digital Asset Basic Act to standardize disclosure requirements and clarify the legal responsibilities of issuers. The Financial Supervisory Service is currently preparing official formats and procedures related to digital asset issuance and exchange listings. These measures are intended to introduce transparency comparable to corporate disclosure standards under capital markets regulations, thereby restoring confidence in the digital asset market.
 
The clarification of licensing procedures for digital asset businesses, including stablecoin issuers, is also expected to create a legal foundation for digital assets to function as payment instruments within the real economy. In addition, discussions on allowing corporate participation in the digital asset market signal a structural shift from a market historically dominated by retail investors. The inflow of institutional capital is anticipated to provide more stable liquidity and introduce professional asset management practices.
 
Attorney Choi further explained that alongside market liberalization, technical surveillance systems to prevent unfair trading practices are being significantly strengthened. Financial authorities plan to enhance real-time monitoring systems using exchanges’ open APIs to detect market manipulation by large investors. She noted that with clear disclosure standards and robust supervisory mechanisms in place, 2026 could mark the beginning of a new era for Korea’s digital asset market—one in which legal regulation and industry development coexist within a transparent and structured framework. (디지털에셋 2026. 3. 6)

URL: [칼럼] 9년만에 ICO 허용 변곡점...2026년은 디지털자산 제도·육성 원년 < 오피니언 < 기사본문 - 디지털애셋 (Digital Asset)