Not Bitcoin… This coin is the most beloved by Koreans. [Kojubu]

Last year, the cryptocurrency most traded by domestic investors was not Bitcoin, but Ripple.

According to the "Upbit User Status 2025" released by Upbit operator Dunamu on the 2nd, Ripple ranked first in terms of trading volume last year. Bitcoin (BTC) ranked second, followed by Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), and Dogecoin (DOGE).



As of 1:07 PM today, Ripple was trading at 2,734 won on Upbit, up 0.37% from the previous day. Trading volume reached 100 billion won, significantly outpacing Bitcoin (around 72 billion won) and Ethereum (around 49 billion won).

Ripple is considered the most preferred cryptocurrency among domestic investors due to its relatively low unit price, fast transfer speed, and low fees compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The most active trading time was 9:00 AM, coinciding with the opening of the stock market. The busiest day of the year was January 29th, with a daily trading volume of 20.86 trillion won. This is interpreted as a reflection of market expectations for a pro-cryptocurrency policy as the second term of the Donald Trump administration officially begins.

The domestic cryptocurrency market is dominated by the 2030 generation. Upbit users number 5.48 million, representing 44% of the total 2030 generation (12.37 million people) according to resident registration statistics from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The investor base is expanding, particularly among those in their 20s and 30s. In particular, the market, previously dominated by men, has seen a notable influx of female users. Last year, women accounted for 43.1% of new users, narrowing the gap with men (56.9%) to about 13 percentage points. By age, those in their 50s accounted for 20% of new subscribers, a similar increase to the 30-40 age group.

Investment methods are also evolving. Moving beyond simple trading, the concept of "asset management" is gaining traction. "Staking" services, which allow users to deposit virtual currency for a set period and receive rewards, have reached 300,000 cumulative users, generating approximately 257.3 billion won in cumulative rewards. "Coin Collecting," an installment-based investment service, also achieved 220,000 users and a cumulative investment of 478.1 billion won.

As virtual currency has become a common investment asset, Upbit's cumulative membership has surpassed 13 million. As of December 22nd of last year, Upbit had 13.26 million members, with approximately 1.1 million new members added in the past year alone.

An Upbit official said, "We will accelerate the advancement of the platform and improvement of the user experience so that users can trade more safely and conveniently."

Reporter Park Min-joo