- South Korea posted 560.3 billion won in net stablecoin outflows during June.
- The outflow streak has continued for 18 consecutive months since January 2025.
- Traders shifted funds overseas for derivatives, DeFi, staking, and RWA products.
South Korea recorded another month of stablecoin outflows in June 2026, extending a trend that has lasted 18 consecutive months. According to Yonhap News Agency and data submitted by the Financial Supervisory Service, the country’s five major crypto exchanges posted a net stablecoin outflow of 560.3 billion won after overseas transfers exceeded incoming deposits. The funds mainly moved to overseas platforms offering derivatives, RWA products, DeFi services, and staking options unavailable on domestic exchanges.
Stablecoin Outflows Stay Above Inflows
According to the Financial Supervisory Service, Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax transferred 2.7625 trillion won in stablecoins to overseas exchanges during June. Meanwhile, deposits returning from overseas platforms reached 2.2022 trillion won. As a result, net outflows totaled 560.3 billion won, or about $367 million.
Notably, June marked the eighteenth straight month in which stablecoin outflows exceeded inflows. The uninterrupted trend has continued since January 2025, when the available data series began. The transferred funds are believed to support crypto derivatives, stock-linked products, dollar-denominated real-world asset products, decentralized finance services, and staking opportunities unavailable on domestic exchanges.
Outflows Rival Overseas Stock Investment
The stablecoin movement approached the scale of Korean retail investors’ overseas stock purchases during the same month. According to the Korea Securities Depository, domestic investors bought $34.93 billion in overseas shares and sold $34.46 billion during June. Consequently, net purchases reached $472.54 million, or about 722 billion won using June’s average exchange rate of 1,527.95 won per dollar.
That comparison placed June’s stablecoin net outflow at roughly 77.6% of net overseas stock purchases. Earlier last year, stablecoin outflows generally represented about 20% of overseas stock net buying. However, overseas stock demand eased recently while stablecoin outflows continued each month.
Lawmaker Cites Investor Protection Concerns
Second-quarter data showed the trend remained intact. Between April and June, stablecoins recorded net outflows totaling 1.6872 trillion won. During the same period, overseas stocks posted net sales of 1.6185 trillion won.
According to Yonhap News Agency, overseas exchanges now offer cryptocurrency futures alongside spot and futures products linked to Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Hyundai Motor. Some platforms also introduced leveraged products tied to stock prices and market indexes.
Rep. Lee Jong-wook of the People Power Party said funds continue moving overseas while investors access high-risk derivatives on foreign exchanges. He called on the government to review investor protection measures and accelerate institutional improvements.