Gate Insights and Crypto Market Analysis

Korea Exchange notified major asset management firms in early August that new ETF listing reviews may face delays due to review backlog. The exchange's ETF listing team consists of only 5 members as of early this year, handling both new listing reviews and existing ETF management. The workload

South Korean semiconductor ETFs marketed as 'TOP2' strategies declined approximately 30-40% over a one month period, nearly double the KOSPI index's 22.1% decline in the same timeframe. The sharp losses stemmed from concentrated portfolios allocating 90% of assets to four stocks: Samsung

President Lee Jae-myung's recent diplomatic tour to the United States and South America marked a shift in South Korea's economic diplomacy, moving from traditional state-to-state agreements to direct engagement with global corporate CEOs and supply chain partners. The tour aimed to position South Ko

Trump Media sold 2,628 Bitcoin (BTC) worth roughly $165 million, deepening losses on a treasury assembled near record prices. The disposal arrived as the company launched Truth API on August 1, a paid feed selling institutions faster access to President Donald Trump's Truth Social posts. According t

Lee Jae-man, Director of Global Investment Analysis at Hana Securities, forecast that the KOSPI index could reach 10,380 and the S&P 500 index could reach 9,240 in the second half at the '2026 Maeil Business Newspaper Investment Concert.' The projections are contingent on three conditions:

KB Asset Management and Kiwoom Investment Asset Management launched covered call active ETFs targeting the KOSDAQ market on the 2nd. KB's RISE KOSDAQ Covered Call Active ETF targets an annual distribution rate of approximately 15% through monthly payouts, following Kiwoom's earlier launch of the

Korean securities firms upgraded investment ratings on Korean stocks at an accelerated pace between June 22 and July 30, as the KOSPI index fell 38.63% from its 9114.55 closing peak to 5593.56. The rating upgrades occurred because target

South Korean retail investors lost approximately 50 trillion won on US stocks in June and July, Korea Securities Depository data showed. The losses occurred despite $5.3 billion in net purchases over the two months, driven by declines in top holdings Tesla (down 29.1%) and NVIDIA (down 7.6%),

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will conduct two-day ministry briefings on August 4-5 immediately after returning from a diplomatic tour of the United States and three South American countries on August 3. The briefings will cover key ministries in industry, labor, foreign affairs, and

South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan held an emergency inspection meeting on the 2nd at 5 PM Frankfurt time to assess the supply situation of oil, naphtha, and other resources amid escalating Middle East tensions. The government is monitoring real-time supply

The Magnificent 7 US stocks — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla — showed diverging performance during the Q2 earnings season, with Microsoft and Amazon surging while Alphabet, Meta, and Apple faced investor skepticism. The shift reflects investors no longer asking 'how

South Korea's semiconductor exports grew at triple-digit rates in the first half of this year. However, peak-out concerns have emerged in the stock market despite the strong performance. Hanwha Investment & Securities stated on the 2nd that current market worries are excessive, though real risks

GS Engineering & Construction recorded revenue of 2.7799 trillion won and operating profit of 91.4 billion won in the second quarter of 2026, falling short of market expectations. Revenue declined 13.0% year-over-year, while operating profit plummeted 43.6%, coming in nearly 20% below the

Brazil's cryptocurrency purchases reached $14.68 billion in H1 2026, a 135% increase compared to $6.24 billion in H1 2025, driven primarily by stablecoin demand according to an external sector statistics report released on Tuesday. Argentine banking groups BIND and Petersen are developing

Investors under 20 years old in the Korean stock market saw their credit trading debt surge 2.5 times in six months, according to data submitted to National Assembly member Kim Sang-hoon from 10 major Korean securities firms. Credit trading balance for this age group jumped 152.4% from 2.1 billion w

Domestic cryptocurrency exchanges saw 560.3 billion KRW in stablecoins flow to overseas platforms in June, according to a Herald Economy report citing unspecified data. The outflow represented approximately 80% of domestic investors' net overseas stock purchases during the same period. Overseas exch

Three South Korean securities analysts upgraded target prices for major stocks during the week of July 27-31, defying a broader market trend of downward revisions. Chae Min-sook of Korea Investment & Securities raised SK Hynix's target price from 3.8 million won to 4.7 million won on the 30th of

Frank F&B, operator of premium handmade burger brand Frank Burger, has been put up for sale. Founder and chairman Shim Woo-chang selected Samil PwC as the lead advisor to sell his stake, which represents nearly 100% of the company. The sale comes as Burger King and

Korean venture capital firms are increasing investments in Born Global startups—Korean-founded companies established directly in the United States rather than relocating after domestic growth. The investment appeal centers on these companies' existing adaptation to US ecosystems, enabling faster