South Korea should introduce cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds to stay competitive in global finance, according to the chairman of the Korea Exchange (KRX).

In a recent interview in Seoul, chairman Jung Eun-bo stressed that with South Korea being the “third-largest real cryptocurrency trading country,” delaying crypto ETFs could leave it trailing behind global markets that are already moving ahead.

He pointed to the United States, where both futures and spot Bitcoin ETFs are “available and actively traded,” as an example of how other markets are embracing the shift. Jung added that crypto ETFs could bring fresh opportunities to the country’s financial sector.

“Cryptocurrency represents a sector capable of generating new value in the financial industry […] We must not delay the …