South Korea’s 2026 Economic Growth Strategy backs launching spot digital-asset ETFs with priority for a Bitcoin ETF as early as 2026. Regulators will start formal work this year to promote spot crypto ETFs and introduce a “second wave” of legislation covering stablecoins, disclosure and reserve rules, issuer licensing and cross-border transfer compliance. The plan also includes lifting VC restrictions for crypto firms, recent institutional activity (e.g., Binance’s Gopax acquisition), exploring blockchain for public finance (including deposit tokens and use of blockchain for up to 25% of certain treasury operations by 2030), and creating a legal framework for blockchain payments and settlements by year-end.

The strategy explicitly prioritizes a spot Bitcoin ETF as early as 2026 and directs regulators to begin formal work this year to promote spot crypto ETFs; it also signals concrete regulatory measures (stablecoin rules, disclosure/reserve requirements, issuer licensing, cross-border compliance) and an aim to establish a legal framework for blockchain payments and settlements by year-end — all factual items that support a bullish outlook with moderate near-term trading impact.