TLDR:South Korea posted a 560.3 billion won net stablecoin outflow in June, extending the trend to 18 months.Cumulative net stablecoin transfers since January 2025 reached about 14.9 trillion won, according to data.June outflows equaled 77.6% of Korean retail investors’ net purchases of foreign shares during the month.Offshore platforms attract Korean traders with derivatives, DeFi, staking, and tokenized asset products.South Korea recorded an 18th straight month of net stablecoin transfers to overseas exchanges in June, underscoring sustained demand for offshore crypto products. The five largest won-based exchanges sent 2.7625 trillion won abroad and received 2.2022 trillion won, producing a 560.3 billion won net outflow.Although June’s total remained below several 2025 peaks, the uninterrupted direction of transfers carried greater significance than the monthly size alone. Reported figures showed monthly net outflows ranging from 459.3 billion won in July 2025 to 1.2049 trillion won in February 2025.South Korean Stablecoins Post 18 Straight Months of Net Outflows to Overseas ExchangesAccording to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea’s five major won-based crypto exchanges sent 2.7625 trillion won in stablecoins to overseas platforms in June 2026, while receiving 2.2022 trillion… pic.twitter.com/sDFsaBmDKN— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) August 2, 2026Across the full period beginning in January 2025, cumulative net transfers reached about 14.9 trillion won, based on the disclosed monthly totals.Stablecoin Transfers Rival South Korea’s Overseas Stock FlowsThe June outflow equaled 77.6% of the 722 billion won Korean retail investors spent buying foreign shares on a net basis. During the second quarter, the contrast widened as stablecoins recorded 1.6872 trillion won in net outbound transfers.Over the same period, Korean investors became net sellers of overseas equities, reducing their foreign stock holdings by 1.6185 trillion won. The comparison places dollar-linked tokens alongside traditional overseas investing as an important channel for moving capital beyond domestic platforms.However, the figures measure exchange transfers rather than permanent capital flight, since tokens can later return, remain in wallets, or enter decentralized applications. Notably, access remains the central driver behind the movement, as local exchanges continue concentrating mainly on spot trading.By contrast, offshore platforms provide perpetual futures, staking, decentralized finance, tokenized real-world assets, and leveraged products linked to Korean companies. Those products have included exposure tied to Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Hyundai Motor, expanding the range of markets available abroad.A separate study found about 47 trillion won in crypto moved abroad or into personal wallets during the first half of 2026. Tiger Research and Chainalysis also reviewed 4.5 million wallets and estimated cumulative transfers of 687.6 trillion won since 2021.The same research estimated that overseas trading activity generated approximately 1.4 trillion won in fees.Offshore Leverage Raises Regulatory and Investor RisksAmong the main destinations, Hyperliquid offered Korean-linked perpetual contracts with leverage of up to 50 times. Moreover, SK Hynix-linked trading reportedly reached about $4 billion after the contract launched in February.That activity shows stablecoins operating as collateral and settlement assets within global on-chain markets, rather than only as digital savings instruments. The expansion also increases exposure to liquidation losses, security breaches, and platform failures outside South Korea’s domestic regulatory system.As a result, Bank of Korea officials have warned that wider token use could complicate capital-flow management and foreign-exchange oversight. Governor Rhee Chang-yong previously said won-backed tokens might make conversion into dollar-linked assets easier instead of reducing demand for dollars.Meanwhile, the Financial Services Commission said in January that central provisions of second-stage digital-asset legislation remained unfinished.Those unresolved issues included the ownership structure permitted for stablecoin issuers operating under the planned framework.Lawmaker Lee Jong-wook urged regulators to review oversight and investor safeguards as offshore transfers continue. For now, the 18-month pattern shows that investors are consistently using dollar-linked tokens to reach products unavailable on domestic exchanges.The post South Korea Stablecoin Outflows Extend to 18 Months as Offshore Demand Grows appeared first on Blockonomi.