Crypto's territory on the asset map of Korea's wealthy is expanding fast. Comparing the ‘2024–2025 Korea Wealth Report’ from KB Financial Group's Management Research Institute with the ‘2020 report’ from five years earlier shows that the wealthy have completely shifted from ‘watching from the sidelines’ to ‘taking action’ on crypto.
1. A dramatic rise in ownership: under 1% → 8.5%
At the time of the 2020 report five years ago, the crypto ownership rate among the wealthy with financial assets of KRW 1 billion or more was effectively under 1%, so low it was barely worth counting. At the time, **92.3%** of the wealthy showed strong aversion, saying they had “no plans at all to invest” in crypto.
But as of 2025, the picture has turned 180 degrees. The crypto ownership rate among the wealthy has jumped to **8.5%**. That is about more than 8.5 times the level of five years ago, meaning roughly one in 10 wealthy individuals actually keeps crypto such as Bitcoin in their vault.
2. A shift in investment intent: “not interested” 92% → “will invest” 14.8%
In the past, the wealthy dismissed crypto as ‘speculation with no substance.’ In the 2020 survey, only **2.3%** of the wealthy said they intended to invest in crypto in the future.
But according to the latest report, the share saying they intend to invest in crypto has soared to **14.8%**. In particular, the larger their assets, the stronger the tendency to add at least a small amount of crypto for risk management, and including the noncommittal answer “I'll invest depending on circumstances,” potential demand is even deeper.
3. Portfolio weight: tiny but powerful ‘0.4% symbolism’
The absolute share of crypto in total assets is still at the 0.4% level. The number may look small, but it has grown more than fourfold from five years ago, under 0.1%.
What stands out is the change in real estate's share. Real estate's share of assets, which reached **59.0%** in 2020, fell 4.2 percentage points to **54.8%** in 2025. The data suggest that part of the huge wealth once tied up in real estate is moving into stocks (7.9%) and other assets, including crypto.
💡 BITPRESS Insight: “Numbers prove perception has crossed a tipping point”
BITPRESS's conclusion from this data is clear.
- From fringe to mainstream (Mainstream Adoption): An ownership rate that was under 1% five years ago reaching 8.5% means crypto has moved past the ‘early adopter’ stage into the ‘early majority’ stage. The wealthy have already begun to accept crypto as their portfolio's ‘insurance (hedge)’ or **‘source of alpha returns’**.
- Cracks in the myth that real estate never loses: Crypto and stocks are filling the gap left by real estate's share falling more than 4 percentage points. It's the early stage of smart money, which values liquidity, flowing from ‘heavy real estate’ to ‘light digital assets.’
- Conclusion: The low 0.4% share is actually an opportunity. If it rises only to the 1–3% portfolio weight recommended by global institutional investors, the ‘money of the rich’ flowing into the crypto market could be several times today's level.
Sources: KB 2025 Korea Wealth Report
