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Crypto

Bitcoin holds $80,000 as stablecoin payments spread

Over the past week, the global crypto market’s key theme was resilience. Bitcoin held $80,000 despite a CPI shock, while XRP defended $1.30 even as public interest faded. Investors are watching U.S. PMI data and the Oct. 27-28 FOMC, as well as Ripple’s Swell event. Stablecoins and tokenisation are spreading into mainstream payment rails. In South Korea, tax deferral bills and a forthcoming digital assets framework are emerging variables.

Industry

South Korea faces warnings of growing reliance on semiconductors

Warnings are growing that South Korea is shifting toward an economy led by a single semiconductor sector, similar to Taiwan. Record chip exports driven by AI demand are lifting potential growth forecasts and per-capita GDP projections. But analysts say gains are concentrating in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix as they handle production and packaging in-house. That could widen the gap between headline indicators and felt conditions, with institutions also warning of structural risks and weaker non-chip manufacturing.

Telecommunications & Media

Internet speed rankings public but measurement basis opaque, questions raised over Ookla reliability

A dispute is growing over U.S. private firm Ookla’s ranking that placed South Korea 22nd in fixed broadband download speed. The government and telecom industry have pushed back against results showing Korea slower than Vietnam and Thailand. Critics say the test conditions and detailed data underpinning the rankings are not sufficiently disclosed, limiting their use as a benchmark. OECD has also flagged possible sample bias in user-initiated measurements.