Worldcoin Leads AI Crypto Surge in South Korea
AI-powered cryptocurrencies have overtaken traditional favorites like XRP in South Korea, with Worldcoin (WLD) leading the surge. According to the Chainalysis East Asia Crypto Adoption report, AI tokens now represent the largest thematic category in the country's crypto market, accounting for 18% of won-denominated trading activity on South Korean exchanges. Worldcoin alone generated $7.41 billion in trading volume, significantly outpacing other AI tokens like SAHARA, VIRTUAL, BIO, and NEAR.
South Korea's $449.1 billion crypto economy is the largest in East Asia, growing 12.3% between January 2025 and June 2026. The shift towards AI tokens reflects changing preferences among retail traders, who are increasingly favoring high-risk, high-reward opportunities. This trend is also influenced by the parallel rise of AI-related stocks in the equity market, with companies like SK Hynix dominating the mainstream stock market.
Despite the rise of AI tokens, XRP remains a highly traded cryptocurrency in South Korea. It was the most-traded asset on Upbit in 2025 and continued to out-trade Bitcoin on the platform through late September 2026. Upbit handled roughly 70% of Korean crypto trading volume in 2025, according to Kaiko.
The Chainalysis report attributes the interest in AI-linked crypto tokens to two main factors: the retail-driven nature of the South Korean market and the absence of a crypto tax during the research period. A planned 22% tax on crypto profits, scheduled to take effect in 2027, could potentially impact trading behaviors. Institutional investors are only beginning to enter the market, with the Financial Services Commission announcing a roadmap to open the market to various entities in February 2025.