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A couple of days have passed since the 22nd general election took place in South Korea, whose results have disappointed President Yoon Seok-yeol and the country's ruling People Power Party (PPP). The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) won the election in a landslide, securing a total of 175 seats out of 300 in the National Assembly.   Now, with the DPK set to continue exerting control over the National Assembly, financial industry insiders are focusing on whether the liberal party will stick to its campaign pledges to ease regulations on cryptocurrencies and related products – most notably, approving investment and trading of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) within the country, according to media outlet Yonhap Infomax. Ever since the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved spot Bitcoin ETFs in January, interest surrounding such products has intensified among Korean investors. Photo by Alesia Kozik on PexelHowever, the Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) has been reluctant to approve such spot ETFs, citing the potential risk of such approval violating the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. Various pledges to ease crypto regulations The DPK, in response, has introduced several campaign pledges aimed at easing crypto regulations, both to win votes from younger Koreans – especially those in their 20s and 30s who make up a significant portion of crypto investors in the country – and to bolster the local crypto market. Among these pledges was to include virtual asset ETFs in Individual Savings Account (ISA), which would enhance tax breaks for crypto gains. Another notable pledge was to deduct taxes on crypto gains worth up to KRW 50 million (approximately $36,560). Under the current law, only crypto gains within the limit of KRW 2.5 million qualify for the tax deduction. One local crypto insider commented on the outcome of the general election, saying that the industry will need to keep an eye on how the situation surrounding crypto regulations develops, as easing such regulations was one of the key promises the DPK made during the election campaign period.   Still, long way ahead for Korea to approve spot Bitcoin ETFsMeanwhile, CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju left a comment yesterday on the X (formerly Twitter) post written by crypto analyst MartyParty, which reads, "South Korea has approved spot Bitcoin ETFs."  Ju pointed out that South Korea still has "a long way to go" when it comes to approving spot Bitcoin ETFs, noting that just because "the Bitcoin-friendly Democratic Party," or the DPK, won the general election doesn't mean that financial regulators have approved such products.  

Anboto Labs Reveals $3M Funding and Platform LaunchHong Kong-based crypto trade execution specialist Anboto Labs has successfully secured $3 million in funding and unveiled an institutional-grade non-custodial trading platform.Investors who participated in the funding round included Kronos Ventures, Cherry Crypto, Mechanism Capital, XBTO, and Singaporean digital assets financial services platform Matrixport, contributing to this funding round during the third quarter of this year. Anboto Labs, known for its crypto trading execution tools, has been on a steady growth trajectory, having raised $1.9 million last year, elevating its valuation to $35 million, according to Guillaume Forcade, the company’s co-founder.Photo by Csaba Nagy on PixabayCrypto trade executionFrom its inception, Anboto Labs has consistently generated revenue, and now it’s ready to introduce its execution platform to a broader audience of experienced traders. The public launch of the platform will enable Anboto to scale up to support thousands of traders simultaneously.The newly released platform underwent an extensive 18-month closed beta phase, during which it processed $4 billion in trading volume across 20 exchanges and blockchain networks. Anboto Labs is attempting to distinguish itself in the market with its execution algorithms, including TWAP, VWAP, and iceberg, which are designed to optimize pricing and execution quality.TWAP, or time-weighted average price, can be incorporated into a trading algorithm with a view towards optimizing a trade’s average price while executing the trade over a predefined time period. In recent days, the project’s Head of Quantitative Research, Suren Markosov, took to blogging site Medium to outline how Anboto’s TWAP algorithm is geared up to save on trading costs. According to Markosov, the firm’s approach could lead to traders saving between two and eight basis points in costs.VWAP, or volume-weighted average price, can be used to filter out the “noise” in the market to determine the real buy/sell price that exists within the market within a given period. Meanwhile, an iceberg order is executed such that it is sliced up into smaller orders. In this way, the impact cost of overall trade execution is minimized.Focus on securityAnboto Labs also places a strong emphasis on security. It allows users to sign up without the need for a time-consuming Know Your Customer (KYC) process, offering a streamlined experience. Additionally, the platform provides multi-factor authentication and the option to whitelist IP addresses, further enhancing security measures.Brett Sun, an investor with Cherry Crypto, took to X (formerly Twitter) to recognize Anboto’s platform launch. Sun stated:“Big strides from @guiviaje and the team at @anboto_labs. They’ve come out of beta to democratize access to professional-grade trading tools for all traders.”WOO Network integrationEarlier this week, Anboto announced the integration of Taipei-based liquidity provider WOO Network into its platform. Forcade said that the integration will enable the firm to offer even more efficient trading tools to its users.In the coming months, Anboto Labs plans to expand its trading features with the aim of democratizing access to institutional-grade execution tools for all crypto traders. With a track record and fresh funding behind it, Anboto Labs is setting itself up to potentially make a significant impact in the cryptocurrency trading space, offering traders the tools they need for success in the crypto market.

Spotlight on Daegu as Blockchain Strategy Forum ApproachesThe 2023 Blockchain Strategy Forum is set to take place in the South Korean city of Daegu on May 26, according to an announcement from crypto exchange operator Flata EX.Photo by Shubham Dhage on UnsplashDiscussing strategic initiativesThe conference, jointly hosted by the city’s industry promotion institute Daegu Technopark, local newspaper Daegu Shinmun, and Flata EX, will invite leading experts from the blockchain industry to discuss strategic approaches and initiatives related to blockchain technology.Incorporating blockchainThe primary focus of the conference will be to deliberate upon development and promotion strategies that can contribute to the growth of the Daegu economy. Special emphasis will be placed on discovering strategies for integrating blockchain technology into areas such as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management, and administrative processes, thereby fostering a culture of innovation.Diverse panel of expertsA diverse mix of participants from academia, legal, and government sectors are expected to attend the event, engendering a comprehensive dialogue on the subject. Key attendees will include Hwang Suk-jin, Chairman of the Korean Association for NFT; Jeong Jae-wook, a digital assets attorney at Joowon Law; and Ryu Dong-hyun, the head of Daegu City’s AI and Blockchain Department Division.Beyond virtual assetsAn official from Flata EX told Korea Economy TV that the upcoming forum will offer valuable insights into how blockchain technology can foster innovative work environments. The official added that the discussion will extend beyond the blockchain’s usage in virtual assets and delve into its potential to transform administrative systems and procedures.