Upbit is Anxious: A Hasty Counterattack Aimed at Regaining Stablecoin Market Share
Title: Upbit's Rushed Counterattack to Reclaim Stablecoin Market Share
Facing a dramatic shift in South Korea's stablecoin market, leading exchange Upbit launched a promotional campaign from July 26 to August 9, waiving the 0.05% trading fee for stablecoins paired with the Korean Won (KRW) and rapidly listing new stablecoins like RLUSD and USDG. This move is a direct response to its plummeting market share in this sector.
Historically a duopoly with Bithumb, the market has been reshaped since October 2025 when Coinone permanently removed fees for USDC trading. By June 2026, Coinone led with 34.8% of stablecoin volume, followed by Bithumb (31.1%) and Upbit (30.1%). This contrasts sharply with the overall crypto market, where Upbit commands 60%. The data shows stablecoin demand is highly sensitive to fees, as users primarily buy them to transfer capital overseas for derivatives trading or forex arbitrage. South Korean exchanges have seen a net outflow of stablecoins for 18 consecutive months, totaling approximately 14.9 trillion KRW, underscoring their role as a cross-border capital conduit.
Upbit's limited-time promotion initially boosted its daily stablecoin volume by 162%, but the surge was almost entirely in USDT (98.1% of volume). The newly listed stablecoins saw negligible, fleeting interest. Furthermore, the promotional effect quickly waned in the second week, with volume dropping 33% on weekdays. A concurrent weakening of the KRW also contributed to the trading spike, independent of the fee waiver.
The analysis suggests that once the promotion ends, Upbit is unlikely to retain its temporary gains unless it matches Coinone's permanent zero-fee policy, forcing a choice between market share and fee revenue. Upbit's strategic push may be less about immediate profit and more about preparing for future regulatory shifts. With South Korea's *Digital Asset Basic Act* on the horizon, which will regulate KRW-backed stablecoins, and following Dunamu's (Upbit's parent) integration into Naver Financial to build a payment ecosystem, securing a dominant position in the dollar stablecoin distribution channel holds long-term strategic value. However, potential regulatory conflicts could prevent Upbit from listing a future Naver-issued KRW stablecoin, making the current fight for dollar stablecoin flow even more critical.
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