Home > Business > Industry

Korean retail investors shift from U.S. Big Tech to crypto-related stocks: Report

Published: 11 Aug. 2025, 17:19

An Woori Bank dealing room in central Seoul [WOORI BANK]

Korean individuals investing in overseas stocks have increasingly turned to virtual asset-related shares, such as those tied to stablecoins, instead of U.S. Big Tech shares, a report showed Monday.

The proportion of virtual asset-related stocks among the top 50 net-bought stocks by local individual investors rose from 8.5 percent in January to 36.5 percent in June before slightly declining to 31.4 percent in July, according to a report by the Korean Center for International Finance (KCIF).

Net purchases of the top seven U.S. Big Tech stocks, however, dropped from a monthly average of $1.68 billion between January and April to $440 million in May, $670 million in June and further to $260 million in July.

"Investments in virtual assets, particularly in shares related to stablecoins, have expanded following the passage of the U.S. GENIUS Act," the report said.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the act, which focuses on setting up regulatory guidelines for the stablecoin industry and paves the way for private firms to issue them.

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Aug. 7. [AP/YONHAP]

Overall, Korean retail investors became net sellers of overseas stocks in May after several months of net buying and continued to sell through June.

Although they returned to net buying in July with purchases totaling $499 million, the momentum remained weak compared to the monthly average buying of $3.8 billion during the first four months of this year.

"Since June, the domestic stock market has outperformed overseas markets, while the local currency has strengthened, prompting individual investors to withdraw their investments from foreign markets," the KCIF said.

Given lingering concerns about the impact of the U.S. tariff scheme on the real economy, retail investors are unlikely to actively invest in overseas stocks for the time being, it added.

Yonhap