[2026 Growth Strategy] Full-Scale Institutionalization of Digital Assets... Stablecoins and Spot ETFs to Be Included in Regulatory Framework

The government is accelerating the institutionalization of digital assets, including the establishment of a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Through the enactment of the Digital Asset Basic Act (the second phase of virtual asset legislation), a comprehensive regulatory structure will be created to cover the issuance, distribution, and trading of digital assets. In addition, the government plans to introduce spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for digital assets.

On the afternoon of January 9, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Financial Services Commission, and other relevant agencies announced through the "2026 Economic Growth Strategy" that they will institutionalize digital assets, including the establishment of a stablecoin regulatory framework.

The proposed legislation, commonly referred to as the Digital Asset Basic Act, is considering the establishment of a regulatory system centered on stablecoins. While the first phase of legislation focused on regulating unfair trading and protecting users, the second phase emphasizes "establishing order" based on the institutional status and utilization of digital assets.

The second phase of the legislation will include an issuer licensing system (reviewing capital strength and other factors), management of reserve assets (maintaining reserves of at least 100% of issued amounts), and guarantees of redemption rights. Additionally, the second phase will be linked to the development of regulatory measures for cross-border transfers and trading of stablecoins.

Alongside these measures, the government is also promoting the introduction of spot digital asset ETFs to enhance trading convenience. If implemented, this is expected to improve trading convenience and investment accessibility for investors. Furthermore, institutional investor participation is likely to increase, and transparency in the price formation process is expected to be enhanced. The Financial Services Commission plans to pursue the second phase of digital asset legislation within the first quarter of the year.

Furthermore, the government will improve treasury fund management by utilizing digital currency. By 2030, the government plans to use digital currency for one-quarter of treasury funds. As a first step, deposit tokens will be applied on a trial basis to the electric vehicle charging infrastructure project to create practical use cases, and additional cases such as subsidies and vouchers will continue to be identified.

In addition, the government plans to establish a legal basis for full-scale payments and settlements using blockchain. It also aims to build infrastructure by distributing electronic wallets that enable payments and settlements with deposit tokens, including for business promotion expenses and similar uses.