Bitcoin’s breakneck rally since the recent election victory of Donald Trump is piling pressure on a far-flung corner of the capital markets: small cap stocks in South Korea.
The cryptocurrency has jumped nearly 35% since Trump’s election win on Nov 5, while the small cap-dominated Kosdaq Index has fallen 8%, putting it on track to be Asia’s worst performing index this year.
Analysts say that at least part of the reason for the decline is that small investors are dumping shares in favor of Bitcoin, exacerbating a rout that has wiped out around a fifth of the value of the stock index this year.
“Because the Kosdaq market is doing terribly, people are heading to the coin market,” said Ahn Hyunsang, chief executive of the Korea Investment Research Institute, which runs a Telegram channel offering stock tips to subscribers.
The shift highlights what has become a sensitive subject for policymakers in the crypto-obsessed country. Trading activity on Korean crypto exchanges now outstrips volumes for the benchmark Kospi stock index. Regulators have held back from approving Bitcoin cash exchange-traded funds due to fears of outflows from the local stock market.
See also: Rush to ‘value up’ may be Asia stocks’ best defence against Trump
Because cash Bitcoin ETFs are banned in South Korea, investors have placed wagers on leveraged funds exposed to crypto futures, said Hong Songuk, a digital assets analyst at NH Investment & Securities.
Other investors have bought the shares of MicroStrategy, a US company that has loaded up on Bitcoin.
The market could get some relief from bets that the crypto rally is overblown. The ProShares UltraShort Bitcoin ETF, which allows investors to make leverage bets against the coin, had its highest daily inflow on Monday, and a recent losing streak for the cryptocurrency has raised questions about whether Bitcoin can finally break US$100,000 ($134,095).
But investors in South Korea are also bracing themselves for more pressure on stock prices. The market got a temporary boost late last year, when regulators announced a surprise ban on short selling that sent beleaguered stocks higher. The ban is set to end in March.
