Korean exchanges lose 35% of deposits as traders chase 150x KOSPI bets offshore

What happened

South Korea's registered crypto exchanges lost 35% of their won deposits and a third of their market value in the first half of 2026, as traders left and money flowed out because investment offerings lacked diversity.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Fewer won deposits, which means cash held on exchanges, cuts the money exchanges can earn fees on, pushing them to raise costs or shrink services. Traders moving money offshore also reduces local trading activity, hurting revenue and the value investors place on these businesses.

Analyst inference

Traders are chasing 150x KOSPI bets offshore, meaning they seek overseas products offering far larger potential gains than Korean exchanges list. That gap in offerings pulls both traders and their won deposits out of Korea, weakening local exchange finances and possibly prompting regulators to review rules.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Watch whether the 35% drop in won deposits and the one-third fall in market value continue in the second half of 2026, since both figures come directly from the reported first-half results. Confirmed
2. Korean exchanges could widen their investment offerings, such as more diverse products, to keep traders from sending money offshore, but no such plan is stated in the article, so treat this as a possible response. Proposed
3. If traders keep moving money offshore for 150x KOSPI bets, local exchange fee revenue and cash available may keep shrinking, which could push exchanges to cut costs or consolidate to survive. Analyst inference

Evidence

• cryptopolitan.com