South Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups has announced that the State Council has approved amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on the Promotion of Venture Businesses, removing restrictions on virtual asset trading and brokerage firms. Starting September 16, crypto-related companies will be eligible to apply for venture capital funding. This ban, originally implemented in 2018 to curb speculative overheating, has been in place for nearly seven years. The Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA), representing South Korea's top five exchanges, welcomed the policy shift, calling it a potential "turning point" for the industry.