Spot crypto is legal in South Korea and sits inside a registration regime with two layers. On top of that, the Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users took effect on 19 July 2024 and added protection of user deposits and assets, rules against unfair trading such as price manipulation, and supervisory and sanctioning powers over VASPs. The regime is still tightening: on 11 August 2026 the cabinet approved a revision to the Enforcement Decree imposing stricter registration requirements and enhanced AML duties on VASPs.
The contract itself does not change by geography: a ENA perpetual settles in USDC everywhere.
13 venues open Ethena perps to traders in South Korea.
ApeX
Aster
Avantis
gTrade
Helix
Hyperliquid
Lighter
Pacifica
Paradex
Reya
VestFour steps from sign-up to an open position.
A 22% tax applies to annual crypto gains exceeding 2.5 million KRW (approximately $1,740), effective January 1, 2027.
Trading ENA from South Korea: legal.
From South Korea, you can fund an Ethena position using KRW bank transfer via real-name verified account.
19 platforms serve South Korea for Ethena trading, among them Aevo, ApeX and Aster.
Canborsa offers up to 10x leverage on Ethena for traders based in South Korea.
Canborsa charges 0.07% per side (0.14% round trip) on Ethena.