An elite new members-only club in Seoul’s upscale Cheongdam neighbourhood is stirring debate for its unusually strict – and still largely mysterious – membership rules.
While DYAD Cheongdam is preparing to open in summer 2026, reports from local media suggest that individuals who made their fortunes through cryptocurrency trading may not be welcome.
Despite its eye-watering KRW 1 billion (approx. $734,290) annual membership fee, DYAD appears to be more than just a playground for the rich.
According to a report by Kookmin Ilbo, entry is not guaranteed even for those with the means to pay.
The reporter wrote after touring the premises,
“Not everyone with money can join the club. People with an excessive number of tattoos or individuals who have made money from trading cryptocurrency may have a hard time joining.”
The club’s official website does not detail specific requirements but states that applicants must be between 19 and 60 years old and secure two recommendation letters from existing members to even be considered.
DYAD markets itself as South Korea’s first high-end private club, inspired by global institutions such as New York’s Core Club and London’s Soho House.
Source: dyad-cheongdam.com
However, its ambitions appear to extend even further – it aims to become Seoul’s version of Casa Cipriani, a Manhattan club that boasts a celebrity roster including Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds, and John Legend.
But DYAD’s pricing is in a league of its own.
Casa Cipriani charges around $5,000 annually – less than 1% of DYAD’s membership fee.
The club offers a blend of business and leisure – from high-tech fitness and meditation spaces to “biohacking” labs and top-end kitchens.
Source: dyad-cheongdam.com
During the Kookmin Ilbo visit, one standout feature was a luxury kitchen equipped with a sink and storage unit costing KRW 100 million (around $73,049) per set.
According to DYAD’s marketing head Park Ae-jung, the club has already attracted over 100 members before its official launch.
She told the newspaper,
“Our members include businesspeople, startup CEOs, and individuals from the world of culture and the arts. We have selected some customers and contacted them first. But there are also people who heard about it through their acquaintances and contacted us directly.”
The suggestion that crypto traders could be excluded may come as a surprise, especially in a country where digital assets are widely embraced.
A recent survey by KEB Hana found that more than half of South Koreans have engaged in crypto trading.
A third of those investors are still holding their coins, hoping for further gains.
Yet the perception of crypto wealth remains controversial in elite circles.
The speculative nature of digital assets and their ties to high-risk behaviour may clash with DYAD’s image of curated sophistication and exclusivity.
Coinlive believes DYAD’s desire to filter out crypto millionaires reflects a deeper conflict between old-money elitism and a new digital-first generation of wealth.
In a globalised world where the line between tech entrepreneurship and crypto is increasingly blurred, any institution that defines prestige by exclusion may struggle to remain relevant.
DYAD might attract attention with its price tag and posh aesthetics, but its future will depend on whether it evolves beyond the illusion of luxury – or remains just a velvet-rope fantasy for the few.
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