XRP Jumps Past Bitcoin as Korean Stocks Crash

• XRP trading volume on Upbit reached nearly four times that of Bitcoin after a historic stock market selloff.
• Retail investors in South Korea rotated rapidly from equities to cryptocurrencies amid steep KOSPI and KOSDAQ declines.

On July 28, 2026, CryptoRank reported that trading volume on South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges surged dramatically as retail investors flocked to digital assets following a major crash in the nation’s stock markets. XRP activity on Upbit, South Korea’s largest exchange, approached four times the trading volume of Bitcoin at the height of this shift.

The surge in crypto trading came after several consecutive days of steep declines on the KOSPI and KOSDAQ indices. Circuit breakers halted trading as technology stocks led the downturn, pushing South Korean investors to seek alternative assets. Many chose cryptocurrencies as volatility in equities intensified.

CryptoRank emphasized that retail investors quickly pivoted from stocks into digital assets. XRP saw the largest inflow, far outpacing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in trading volume. This marked a clear shift from traditional equities into crypto on local exchanges, with XRP becoming the dominant asset during the crisis.

Upbit posted record trading levels, underscoring the urgency among investors seeking liquidity and alternative opportunities outside conventional equities. The report concluded that spike in equity volatility directly aligned with historic shifts in trading activity toward cryptocurrencies, especially XRP, across South Korea’s crypto market.