Asia's Crypto Patchwork

South Korea has delayed its cryptocurrency tax again, this time pushing it back to 2027. This move follows a pattern of postponements that began years ago when the tax was first proposed. The delay removes an immediate friction point for retail traders and domestic exchanges, but leaves compliance teams in limbo without clear guidelines.

The Russian government has banned cryptocurrency mining within Moscow city limits until 2032. This prohibition will redirect hashpower to regions with spare energy capacity, effectively walling off the country's financial center from one of its most active segments of the domestic crypto economy.

Binance has secured a sandbox license in the Philippines, marking another step toward formal recognition in a market where it has operated under informal arrangements for years. The Philippine central bank has been cautiously opening the financial system to crypto firms through a controlled sandbox framework.