Korean exchanges only allow spot transactions; trading volume in Q2 decreased by 33%.

Daum reported that while global exchanges are expanding into derivatives such as perpetual contracts, options, and traditional stocks, South Korean exchanges are still limited to spot trading due to regulatory restrictions. According to data from CoinGecko, in the second quarter of 2026, the total spot trading volume of five major South Korean exchanges—Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, DigitalX (formerly Korbit), and GOPAX—was approximately $146.7 billion. This represents a decrease of 33.0% compared to the first quarter’s figure of $218.8 billion. Meanwhile, Coinbase recently completed its acquisition of the derivatives exchange Deribit and plans to launch a unified platform that combines spot trading, derivatives, and stock trading. Binance is also actively exploring the market for perpetual contracts related to precious metals, stocks, and indices. However, South Korea’s current regulations explicitly prohibit local institutions from engaging in cryptocurrency derivatives business. This means that…