South Korea Unveils 2026 Digital Asset Strategy

South Korea has unveiled an ambitious digital asset strategy as part of its 2026 Economic Growth Strategy, aiming to integrate blockchain technology into public finance, regulate stablecoins, and approve spot exchange-traded funds for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The plan, announced Friday, represents a shift toward institutional adoption of digital assets, with implementation starting as early as the first half of 2026.

At the core of the initiative is a commitment to allocate 25 percent of the national budget, totaling 499 billion won, to digital assets by 2030. These funds will be distributed primarily through deposit tokens, which are blockchain-based representations of government-held deposits in commercial banks. The government plans to launch a pilot program in early 2026, beginning with subsidies for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This approach will integrate the Bank of Korea's experimental central bank digital currency system, known as Project Hangang, to test the circulation and redemption of deposit tokens as limited-use vouchers.

To support this expansion, authorities intend to revise the National Treasury Fund Management Act and the Bank of Korea Act...