At Jensen Huang’s recent appearance in Seoul, attendees held up smartphones displaying stock headlines for Nvidia and Samsung rather than crypto charts.
Meanwhile, trading volumes on Upbit, South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, recently declined by 12.8%, indicating a notable change in retail investor sentiment.
Sponsored
Sponsored
Korean Retail Market Shifts from Crypto to AI-Related Stocks
South Korea is witnessing a visible exodus of digital assets. Data from CoinGecko shows that Upbit recorded a 24-hour trading volume of $2.02 billion as of October 31, 2025. It declined by more than 13% in the last 24 hours.
Trading volumes have declined over the past few months, reflecting a sharp decline despite the exchange having 293 listed coins, 636 trading pairs, and a trust score of 8/10.
The scene became iconic when Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang appeared with Samsung Vice President Lee Jae-yong. Participants displayed stock charts, not crypto charts, reflecting new market interests.
While Lee seemed indifferent, Huang pointed to the crowd, highlighting the moment. This went viral, seen as a symbol of Korea’s shift from speculative assets to technology-driven growth.
“Where have all the Korean retail investors in the crypto circle gone? Answer: to the exchange next door,” observed analyst AB Kuai Dong.
Sponsored
Sponsored
Some argue that capital turnover represents a significant change and not mere apathy. Retail traders are now aligning with Korea’s national AI strategy, seeking more stable returns than those offered by volatile digital currencies.
Capital appears to be abandoning speculation to target fundamental growth opportunities. Korean investors are now focusing on government-led industrial AI improvements.
The government and large companies are coordinating to allocate 260,000 GPU units, fueling AI development that could exceed the reach of cryptography.
Recently, Samsung and Nvidia announced plans to enter into a next-generation AI mega-factory partnership. The project will use 50,000 Nvidia GPUs to automate manufacturing. Samsung’s AI Factory aims to unify design, processes, equipment, operations and quality into a single intelligent network.
The announcement coincided with a $5 trillion market value reported by Nvidia, solidifying its dominance in AI infrastructure.
For comparison, the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies was approximately $3.8 trillion as of October 31, 2025. This contrast reflects the direction global technology dynamics are heading.
The “Jensen moment” in Seoul could represent a shift from crypto stocks to tech stocks, as retail investors seek reliability.
Globally, artificial intelligence has overtaken cryptocurrency as the primary avenue for growth. Korean investors appear eager to participate in domestic AI initiatives alongside large companies, rather than remaining exposed to speculative markets without institutional support.
