Interest in South Korean stocks and cryptocurrencies surges 96%

South Korea's online stock and cryptocurrency searches surged by 95.7% year-on-year, ranking first among 45 countries in the world.

According to a retail investment study released in September 2026 covering more than 45 countries, South Korea's online attention in the stocks and cryptocurrency fields increased by 95.7% year-on-year, ranking first. This data reflects a significant increase in the frequency of public retrieval of investment and financial information.

Investment search popularity ranking of major countries in the world

Singapore ranked second with a growth rate of 66%, followed by Spain with a growth rate of about 61%. Argentina (about 50%) and Bangladesh (49%) completed the top five list. At the same time, related search volume in the United States and Canada also increased by about 30% year-on-year. [TAG

Coin Insider analyzed Google Trends data from 2025 to 2026, comparing how often people searched for ways to invest in stocks and cryptocurrencies. The study assessed the situation in more than 45 countries, comparing the most recent 13 weeks of search data with data from the same period a year ago. The researchers also looked at search changes over four weeks to see if interest persisted beyond longer measurement periods. In addition, economic indicators such as stock market value and gross national savings as a percentage of gross domestic product were introduced to provide macro context.

It should be noted that search activity measures public interest rather than actual purchases, account openings or transaction volume. Therefore, these findings only indicate that people are studying investment opportunities at a faster rate, but they do not mean that every search is directly converted into funds entering the stock market or crypto market.

South Korea: High savings rate and active market sentiment

South Korea's search interest climbed 95.7% in 13 weeks, far exceeding the same period in 2025. In the latest four weeks covered by the study, search volume still maintained a high growth of 51% year-on-year. The market value of South Korea's stock market accounts for 147.2% of GDP, showing the huge size of its domestic equity market relative to the size of the economy. At the same time, the country's total national savings account for 35.6% of GDP, providing households and businesses with a huge pool of potential funds that could flow into financial assets.

Recent developments show that local investors are extremely sensitive to market opportunities. Previously, the Bank of Korea pointed out the risks posed by increased transactions in leveraged products related to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. According to the Bank of Korea's September monetary policy report, the two chip makers account for nearly half of Kospi's total market value. The size of leveraged products linked to the two companies listed in Hong Kong expanded more than 20 times in the first half of 2026, providing another channel for overseas transactions to influence the South Korean market.

In response, South Korean authorities have proposed limiting individual investors 'exposure to leveraged single stock exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to 20% of their investment assets. The plan is designed to respond to sharp fluctuations in technology stock prices and concerns that daily rebalancing of leveraged funds could exacerbate market shocks.

At the same time, interest in digital assets has also developed in the country's active stock market culture. In September, as South Korea prepared to introduce a virtual asset income tax, a group representing local cryptocurrency investors requested a two-year delay in the tax. The request shows that tax policy has become a core issue in the country's retail cryptocurrency community. However, regulatory and tax debates are not factored into Coin Insider's ranking, which relies heavily on search trends, stock market size and savings data.

Singapore vs. Spain: Continued solid growth

Singapore ranked second with 66% investment search growth over 13 weeks. In the past four weeks, search interest is still 39% higher than a year ago. Coin Insider linked the country's investment capacity to its gross national savings of 40% of GDP, the highest ratio among the leading countries in the report. Singapore's stock market value accounts for 136% of GDP, indicating that listed shares are already an important part of its financial system.

Spain ranked third with a growth rate of approximately 61%. Unlike the peak that briefly subsided, its latest four-week data remained at a year-on-year high of nearly 60%. In Spain, the market value of stocks accounts for 68% of GDP, while total national savings account for 24%. Coin Insider pointed out that this combination allows some residents to have funds to invest, rather than keeping all their savings in bank time deposits.

Emerging Markets: Inflationary Pressure and Alternative Demand

Argentina ranked fourth due to a year-on-year increase in search volume of approximately 50%. Coin Insider linked the increase to the country's long history of high inflation and repeated losses in the purchasing power of the local currency. For Argentine residents, stocks and cryptocurrencies have become alternatives to cash holding when seeking to preserve their value. However, the country's gross national savings as a percentage of GDP is only 13%, the lowest among the five detailed countries in the study.

Bangladesh finished in the top five with a growth rate of 49%. It is worth noting that its search volume grew faster in the latest four weeks, soaring 130% year-on-year. Although the country's stock market value is only 6% of GDP, far lower than that of South Korea, Singapore and Spain, the 35% share of gross national savings suggests that some residents may be studying foreign stocks (including Nasdaq-listed companies) and cryptocurrencies.

However, entry into foreign markets is not automatic. Local financial regulations, capital controls, identity verification, tax requirements and services provided by various platforms will determine which assets residents can legally purchase.

North American Market: Moderate Growth in a Mature Ecosystem

Across North America, interest in stocks and cryptocurrency searches in the United States and Canada increased by approximately 30%. Although this growth rate lags behind the five leading countries mentioned above, the U.S. market itself already has a mature retail investor environment, including large stock exchanges, regulated brokerage accounts, and spot cryptocurrency ETFs listed in the United States.

U.S. investors can access Bitcoin and Ethereum through exchange-traded products without directly holding assets; at the same time, brokerage applications provide access to individual stocks, options and funds. As cryptocurrency platforms are affected by dual federal and state regulatory requirements, product accessibility varies from location to location.

A financial analyst at Coin Insider attributed part of the rise in international retail interest to mobile services reducing the cost and difficulty of entering the market. "Investing has never been easier than it is today," the analyst said."Now, user-friendly mobile apps have completely opened the market, allowing anyone to start investing without years of experience."

The analyst added that in addition to traditional financial centers, international platforms can connect users in countries such as Bangladesh and Spain to global assets. Coin Insider points out that easier access will help retail investors capture a larger share of stock market activity than in the past.