South Korea Plans National Assets Framework to Bring Cryptocurrencies Under State Management

As the virtual-asset market flourishes, South Korea’s 76-year-old State Property Act can no longer effectively address emerging forms of economic activity. The government is moving to enact a Framework Act on National Assets that would formally incorporate cryptocurrencies, intellectual property rights and other emerging digital assets into the national asset-management system. The change would enhance the legal standing and economic value of these assets. It would also mark an important milestone in treating cryptocurrencies as state property at the national level, with broader implications for digital-finance regulation worldwide.

South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance recently announced plans to revise the State Property Act, which has been in force since 1950, and enact the Framework Act on National Assets to establish systematic oversight. The Bank of Korea also plans to begin developing and testing a central bank digital currency in the second half of 2026, while accelerating efforts to complete the legal framework for digital assets. Through these timetables and legislative measures, the government expects to comprehensively increase the value of emerging national assets and improve regulatory effectiveness.