CoinMeta data: The operating profits of Korean cryptocurrency exchanges declined by 78% in the first half of 2026, due to a decline in trading volume, market capitalization, and customer deposits. According to data from the South Korean Financial Intelligence Unit ( KOFIU ), the average daily trading volume of domestic virtual asset exchanges decreased by 44% compared to the previous six months, market capitalization fell by 33%, and deposits in Korean won decreased by 35%. Although the number of accounts eligible to trade increased slightly by 0.4%, exchange sales decreased by 41% during the same period. These figures indicate that Korean retail investors are shifting their attention from the cryptocurrency market to the stock market.