South Korean digital asset exchanges are accelerating efforts to diversify revenue as trading values fall and profitability weakens. The five biggest won-market exchanges logged $27.8 billion in trading from May 1 to 17, down from earlier months. Dunamu and Bithumb reported sharp first-quarter declines in revenue and operating profit, with trading fees accounting for nearly all sales. Exchanges are expanding partnerships, overseas ventures and Web3 infrastructure, while facing regulatory uncertainty.

Ethereum has remained relatively weak after failing to settle above $2,400 over the past three months. Cointelegraph reported it is down 21 percent so far in 2026, underperforming the broader crypto market’s 11 percent decline. The rebound has been repeatedly capped by slowing on-chain activity, intensifying competition in the dapp ecosystem and diminished appeal to institutions. DEX volumes and Ethereum dapp revenue have fallen sharply, while hacking losses and confusion over upgrades have added pressure.