South Korean Investors Ditch Tesla for Crypto Stocks: The Great Electric-to-Blockchain Exodus 🚗⚡🪙

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Ah, the fickleness of retail investors! Once upon a time, South Korea’s small-time traders were serenading Tesla with sonnets and bouquets of cash. Now? They’ve traded Elon Musk’s electric chariot for crypto stocks faster than you can say “Bitcoin.” According to Bloomberg (yes, *that* Bloomberg), South Korean retail investors have been dumping Tesla shares like last season’s K-drama trends. In August alone, they sold $657 million worth of Tesla stock-a sum so large it could probably fund a moon colony or two. Over four months, the total sell-off reached a staggering $1.8 billion. Ouch. 😅

  • Korean retail offloaded $657M in Tesla shares in August; $1.8B over 4 months. Poor Elon, he must feel so betrayed. 🚀💔
  • Crypto-linked stocks now account for 31.4% of top foreign buys. Ethereum proxies are the new Teslas. 🪙✨
  • Over 10.8 million Koreans trade crypto-because apparently, trading equities is *so* 2023. 📊📉

Bloomberg reported on Sept. 1 that South Korea’s retail army has turned its back on Tesla faster than a cat fleeing bath time. August saw a record $657 million exodus from Tesla shares, while crypto-linked equities became the shiny new toy everyone wants under the Christmas tree. This marks Tesla’s largest monthly outflow since early 2019, contributing to an overall $1.8 billion retreat over four months. And yet, despite this betrayal, Tesla remains the top foreign stock among Korean traders, who still hold about $21.9 billion in the company. Nvidia and Palantir? They’re trailing far behind, like extras in a blockbuster movie. Even the leveraged Tesla ETF-which offers double exposure to Tesla shares-saw record redemptions of $554 million last month. Truly, the age of loyalty is dead. 🪦

The Great Rotation: From EV Dreams to Blockchain Schemes 🔄💼

Where is all this capital flowing, you ask? Why, into the glittering world of crypto proxies, of course! Bitmine Immersion Technologies, often viewed as an Ethereum (ETH) proxy thanks to its hoard of ETH reserves, raked in $253 million in net inflows in August alone. Combined with July’s $259 million, Bitmine has become one of the most beloved foreign stocks among Korean investors this year. It’s almost as if they’ve forgotten how volatile crypto can be-or perhaps they just enjoy living dangerously. 😈🔥

And it doesn’t stop there. Circle and Coinbase also attracted millions in Korean inflows during August, pushing total 2025 crypto-stock purchases above $12 billion. Yes, you read that correctly: BILLION. According to the Korean Center for International Finance, crypto-related equities now make up 31.4% of the top 50 net-bought foreign stocks by local retail investors, up from a measly 8.5% at the start of 2025. Clearly, the allure of blockchain is stronger than kimchi on a cold winter’s day. 🧵💸

Crypto Trading: The New National Pastime 🎲📈

It seems South Koreans have officially crowned cryptocurrency trading as their favorite hobby, surpassing even karaoke and competitive gaming. In late 2024, crypto trading volumes surpassed those of local equities. Over 10.8 million Koreans now trade digital assets, with younger investors (those in their 20s) leading the charge. These youngsters hold a disproportionately high share of crypto compared to their older counterparts, proving once again that youth will always find a way to rebel-even if it means rebelling against traditional investments. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

Of course, policy debates rage on. Authorities are tiptoeing toward approving spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and drafting new rules for exchanges. But should digital assets be allowed in pensions and long-term savings? That question remains as controversial as pineapple on pizza. For now, though, South Korean retail investors continue to pivot away from Tesla and U.S. tech equities, embracing blockchain-linked firms instead. The data paints a clear picture: South Korea is not just dabbling in crypto-it’s diving headfirst into the deep end, armed with nothing but optimism and memes. 🏊‍♂️😂

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2025-09-02 09:21