XRP has quietly become the most traded crypto in South Korea, overtaking heavyweights Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin on one of the world’s busiest exchanges — a development that highlights strong local adoption, liquidity and real usage despite broader market volatility. What happened - Upbit, South Korea’s largest exchange, recorded XRP as the top-traded asset across 2025, according to a review of its trading data highlighted by market analyst XFinanceBull on X. The ranking — confirmed by Upbit operator Dunamu on January 2, 2026 — was based on trading volume, liquidity and actual usage rather than price moves. - XRP/KRW was the platform’s most active trading pair for much of the year. Bitcoin placed second, Ethereum third, USDT fourth and Dogecoin fifth by volume. Key numbers - Upbit processed more than $1 trillion in trading volume for 2025 and accounts for over 70% of South Korea’s crypto market, making it a strong barometer of domestic retail and institutional activity. - XRP made up roughly 15%–22% of Upbit’s daily trading activity throughout the year; its daily volume peaked at $1.22 billion in July 2025. - By year-end, Korean exchanges collectively held about 570 million XRP. - Upbit serves roughly 13.26 million users (about one in four South Koreans), with the largest user cohort in their 30s (≈28.7%). Why it matters South Korea is a high-liquidity, real-usage market where traders and investors often favor assets with tangible utility and deep order books. XFinanceBull argues that sustained volume in this environment signals active use rather than short-term speculation — and that strong on-exchange liquidity can create a self-reinforcing “pull” for additional capital. In other words, performing well in Korea can translate into steadier, more persistent demand. Market implications Outperforming BTC and ETH on volume in a major market strengthens XRP’s narrative as a transactional and liquidity-focused asset within South Korea. For traders and investors watching adoption metrics and on-chain flow, Upbit’s data provides a concrete example of retail-driven liquidity and stable support in practice. Outlook Following the report, XFinanceBull reiterated a bullish stance and said he plans to accumulate more XRP. While broader crypto markets remain volatile, this South Korea-specific development underlines how localized demand and exchange-level liquidity can shift the competitive landscape among major crypto assets. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news


