South Korea Halts New Crypto Lending Amid Regulatory Concerns

According to Cointelegraph, South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has instructed cryptocurrency exchanges to pause the introduction of new digital asset lending services. This directive comes amid increasing concerns over the risks associated with such services and underscores the necessity for well-defined regulations. The FSC has communicated to exchanges that while new lending services should be halted, existing agreements, including repayments and maturity extensions, will continue to be allowed. On July 31, the FSC, in collaboration with the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), announced the formation of a joint task force aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for crypto lending. The forthcoming guidelines are anticipated to address leverage limits, user eligibility, and risk disclosures pertinent to virtual asset lending activities. The FSC has also indicated its intention to conduct on-site inspections and enforce supervisory measures against platforms that do not adhere to these guidelines. The decision to suspend new lending services follows reports of significant user losses, including numerous forced liquidations within exchange-operated lending programs. The FSC highlighted an unnamed exchange that attracted approximately 27,600 users within a month of launching a lending service in mid-June, generating a volume of about 1.5 trillion Korean won ($1.1 billion). Of these users, around 13%—or 3,635 individuals—experienced forced liquidations as the value of their crypto holdings declined. Additionally, the FSC noted the activities of two companies offering Tether (USDT) lending services, which led to a spike in selling volume and an unusual drop in USDT prices. The agency warned that continuing new lending operations without adequate safeguards could further jeopardize investor funds. Crypto lending has remained a regulatory gray area in South Korea despite the country's efforts since 2020 to establish foundational regulations for virtual asset service providers (VASPs). These efforts include Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Travel Rule requirements under the revised Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information. In 2023, the Virtual Asset User Protection Act was enacted, providing a legal basis for penalizing unfair practices such as market manipulation and the mishandling of user deposits. However, crypto lending has continued to operate without a clear regulatory framework or licensing regime, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive rules in this sector.