XRP activity dominates South Korean flows, surpassing BTC and ETH locally, according to publicly accessible 24-hour trading rankings on major Korean cryptocurrency exchanges.
As of February 16, 2026, XRP/KRW ranked at or near the top among the most traded pairs by value on Upbit, South Korea’s largest exchange, according to its public market dashboard. A similar positioning was observed on other local platforms such as Bithumb, where XRP remained among the highest-volume digital assets in Korean won-denominated markets.
At the time of publication, XRP was trading near $0.62, according to data from CoinMarketCap, reflecting modest daily fluctuations in line with broader cryptocurrency market conditions.
Local Volume Rankings Diverge from Global Patterns
Globally, Bitcoin remains the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and typically leads aggregate trading activity, according to market data from CoinGecko. Ethereum follows as the second-largest digital asset by valuation.
However, South Korea’s KRW-denominated trading environment often reflects a different rotation order. Exchange dashboards indicate that XRP has periodically surpassed both BTC and ETH in 24-hour traded value within the local market.
This divergence underscores how regional liquidity flows can differ from broader international trading patterns, particularly in markets characterized by strong retail participation.
Structural Factors Supporting XRP’s Local Prominence
Market participants cite several structural features contributing to XRP’s recurring leadership in South Korea:
- Established liquidity in XRP/KRW pairs
- Active retail trader participation
- Competitive order book depth relative to other assets
- Strong familiarity with XRP among local investors
South Korea maintains one of the most active retail cryptocurrency trading communities globally, and exchange data consistently shows high engagement in KRW spot pairs.
Regulatory Environment and Exchange Stability
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has implemented exchange oversight measures, including real-name verification requirements and compliance frameworks designed to enhance transparency.
These measures have formalized trading operations on major domestic exchanges while maintaining robust spot activity. Within this structured environment, XRP continues to feature prominently in KRW trading volume rankings.
Conclusion
XRP activity dominates South Korean flows, surpassing BTC and ETH locally according to current KRW exchange rankings. While global markets remain centered on Bitcoin and Ethereum, South Korea’s spot trading environment reflects concentrated liquidity in XRP pairs. This trend illustrates regional divergence in crypto capital flows rather than a permanent reordering of digital asset dominance.
