Welcome to the Asia Pacific Morning Brief—your essential digest of overnight crypto developments shaping regional markets and global sentiment.
Grab a green tea and watch this space. Today’s highlights: Korean crypto volumes surge 264% as Bitcoin hits $120K; Talos acquires Coin Metrics for $100M+ amid industry consolidation; Trump’s World Liberty tokens open to public trading after governance vote.
S.Korean Trading Surges 264%, but no Kimchi Premium
South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges recorded daily trading volumes exceeding $8 billion, representing a 264% year-over-year increase. This surge aligns with Bitcoin’s historic breakthrough above $120,000, revitalizing investor interest across the region.
Market optimism has been bolstered by expectations of “Crypto Week” events in the United States; however, Korean Bitcoin prices currently trade 1.7% below global rates. The absence of the traditional “Kimchi Premium“—where Korean exchanges historically traded cryptocurrencies at higher prices than global markets—reflects current market dynamics and regulatory constraints that limit arbitrage opportunities.
Meanwhile, Korea’s stock market has gained momentum, with the KOSPI index surging 15% since early June when President Lee Jae-Myung began his term in office, driven by his market-friendly policies, including corporate law reforms.
Trump-Backed World Liberty Financial Tokens Open to Public Trading
President Trump-backed World Liberty Financial’s WLFI tokens will soon be available for public trading after a vote that closed on Wednesday, expanding access beyond accredited investors. The Ethereum-based decentralized finance project plans to offer crypto borrowing and lending services, though its platform has yet to launch.
The governance token enables holders to vote on project changes while maintaining tradable value on exchanges. Previously exclusive to wealthy investors, WLFI’s broader availability marks a significant milestone in community ownership expansion. The project recently received a $100 million investment from UAE-based Aqua 1 Foundation, despite ongoing concerns about potential conflicts of interest given Trump’s disclosed $57.3 million windfall from token sales.
Talos Acquires Coin Metrics for Over $100M as Crypto M&A Accelerates
New York-based digital asset trading infrastructure provider Talos has acquired blockchain data firm Coin Metrics for over $100 million, marking the latest major deal in the crypto industry’s ongoing consolidation wave. The acquisition follows Stripe’s $1.1 billion purchase of stablecoin company Bridge and several significant acquisitions by Coinbase.
Founded by Wall Street veterans in 2018, Talos aims to become a one-stop shop for institutional crypto trading, leveraging Coin Metrics’ expertise in on-chain and off-chain data. CEO Anton Katz cited the regulatory thaw under President Trump as accelerating institutional adoption, with discussions spanning major financial institutions seeking comprehensive digital asset infrastructure solutions.
Shigeki Mori and Paul Kim contributed.
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