South Korea to modify 76-year-old law to classify cryptocurrencies as national assets

PolicySouth Korea to modify 76-year-old law to classify cryptocurrencies as national assetsThe government also reaffirmed plans to pilot tokenized government bonds next year and explore tokenizing state-owned real estate.By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Sheldon Reback Jul 15, 2026, 2:35 p.m. 1 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShowSouth Korea plans to revise its 1950 National Property Act to classify virtual currencies and intellectual property as national assets and modernize management of state-owned property.The government will pilot tokenized government bonds in 2027, explore tokenizing state-owned real estate for retail investors, and link these systems to the Bank of Korea’s central bank digital currency infrastructure.Legal amendments taking effect Feb. 4, 2027, will give blockchain-based ledgers formal recognition as security registries under the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Act.South Korea plans to update its 76-year-old national asset management system to formally include virtual currencies and intellectual property in the country’s definition of national assets, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s economic policy roadmap released Wednesday.The proposal contemplates revising the National Property Act, which dates back to 1950, and includes plans to create a broader legal framework for managing state-owned assets. The ministry reiterated plans to start a pilot program for tokenized government bonds in 2027, saying blockchain technology has the potential to reduce transaction costs and speed up transfers.Officials are also studying the tokenization of state-owned real estate to allow retail investors to participate and share in investment returns, according to the plan.The announcement builds on South Korea’s broader push to bring blockchain into public finance. Earlier this year, the Finance Ministry said it would begin testing tokenized deposits for…

South Korea to modify 76-year-old law to classify cryptocurrencies as national assets

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