South Korean crypto traders have significantly shifted their focus from cryptocurrencies to semiconductor stocks in 2025. Major exchanges such as Upbit and Bithumb have seen daily trading volumes plummet by nearly 80% compared to late 2024. Meanwhile, the KOSPI index has surged over 70% year-to-date, driven by retail investors trading memory chips and AI-linked stocks like Samsung and SK hynix. This transition has resulted in leveraged positions making up nearly 30% of total holdings in these stocks. The shift has impacted global crypto markets, removing a key liquidity driver and causing memecoin rallies to lose momentum quickly.