South Korea Tightens Crypto Exchange Rules After $40 Billion Bithumb Error

South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has introduced stringent new regulations targeting cryptocurrency exchanges operating within the country. The mandate requires exchanges to reconcile their internal ledgers with actual crypto balances every 5 minutes to ensure total transparency. This regulatory crackdown follows a massive operational error at the Bithumb exchange involving a $40 billion payout discrepancy. Authorities aim to maintain constant consistency between physical asset holdings and accounting records to prevent future systemic failures. While the new rules increase operational burdens and compliance costs for local platforms, they are expected to bolster market integrity. Ultimately, these measures seek to enhance investor protection in South Korea, which remains one of the world's most active digital asset markets.