Retail investors\' presence in the crypto market has weakened sharply, with retail inflows to Binance nearing record lows as whales dominate bitcoin deposits. CryptoQuant analyst Darkfrost cited deposits of under 1 BTC as a retail participation gauge, near an all-time low, as sentiment faded around bitcoin\'s $60,000 level. Spot bitcoin ETFs may have reduced direct exchange inflows. Funds shifted to tokenised stocks, precious metals and South Korea\'s KOSPI, while markets watch for improved sentiment to draw retail back.

South Korea\'s Financial Supervisory Service has begun on-site inspections of Shinhan Investment Corp and Kiwoom Securities to determine whether there was mis-selling in the sales process for JTBC corporate bonds. The watchdog is examining whether the firms proceeded with issuance and sales while aware of the risk of JTBC’s deteriorating finances, and whether they sufficiently notified investors of risks and gave guidance suited to investor profiles. Retail investors are reported to have filed complaints.