Bitcoin in East Asia: 7 country guides
- Legal in
- 5 of 7
- Restricted or banned
- 1
- Exchanges ranked
- 12
- Rails listed
- 9
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-23
Bitcoin is legal in 5 of the 7 countries in East Asia we cover, banned in 1, and unclear in 1. 1 guide is written legality first and recommends no exchange. Binance is ranked in 5 of the 7, more than any other exchange. Credit or debit card is a listed payment rail in 5 of the 7. Each guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the tables below count guides rather than restate any one of them.
The 7 country guides in East Asia
Each card shows the guide's legal status, how many exchanges it ranks, and the payment rail locals lead with. A legality-first guide recommends nothing and says so.
- ChinaBannedLegality-first guide
- Hong KongLegal
- Ranked
- 4
- Pays by
- FPS (Faster Payment System)
- JapanLegal
- Ranked
- 5
- Pays by
- Furikomi bank transfer
- MacaoUnclear
- Ranked
- 4
- Pays by
- P2P bank transfers
- MongoliaLegal
- Ranked
- 3
- Pays by
- Local bank transfer in tugrik
- South KoreaLegal
- Ranked
- 4
- Pays by
- Real-name KRW bank account
- TaiwanLegal
- Ranked
- 4
- Pays by
- TWD bank transfer
Exchanges ranked across East Asia
Ordered by how many of the 7 guides rank each platform. A wide reach is a fact about availability, not a recommendation; the guide for your own country is where the ranking lives.
| Exchange | Ranked in | Ranks first in | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binance | 5 of 7 | 3 | 4.2 |
| CEX.IO | 4 of 7 | 0 | 4.0 |
| Coinmama | 4 of 7 | 0 | 3.9 |
| Kraken | 3 of 7 | 1 | 4.7 |
| bitbank | 1 of 7 | 1 | 4.4 |
| Upbit | 1 of 7 | 1 | 4.4 |
| bitFlyer | 1 of 7 | 0 | 4.2 |
| Bithumb | 1 of 7 | 0 | 4.3 |
| Coincheck | 1 of 7 | 0 | 4.0 |
| Coinone | 1 of 7 | 0 | 4.0 |
| GMO Coin | 1 of 7 | 0 | 4.3 |
| Korbit | 1 of 7 | 0 | 3.9 |
Payment rails across East Asia
Ordered by how many of the 7 guides list each rail in their payment vocabulary, and how many lead with it. Counted under the registry name; each guide uses the local one.
| Payment rail | Family | Listed in | Primary in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Card | 5 of 7 | 0 |
| Local bank transfer | Domestic bank rail | 4 of 7 | 3 |
| P2P trade | Peer-to-peer | 3 of 7 | 1 |
| FPS (Faster Payment System) | Domestic bank rail | 1 of 7 | 1 |
| Furikomi bank transfer | Domestic bank rail | 1 of 7 | 1 |
| Apple Pay | Pay wallet | 1 of 7 | 0 |
| Cash trade | Cash | 1 of 7 | 0 |
| Google Pay | Pay wallet | 1 of 7 | 0 |
| Wire transfer | International wire | 1 of 7 | 0 |
How this grouping is drawn
Membership follows the region and subregion recorded on each country guide. The guide, not this hub, is where a country's facts are sourced; this page only counts them.
Frequently asked questions
Is bitcoin legal in East Asia?
Bitcoin is legal in 5 of the 7 countries in East Asia we cover. It is banned in China. The legal position is unclear in Macao. The guide for China is written legality first and recommends no exchange. Each country guide carries the sourced legal note behind its status.
Which exchange works in the most countries in East Asia?
Binance is ranked in 5 of the 7 country guides in East Asia, and ranks first in 3. CEX.IO follows in 4. Each guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the same exchange can sit first in one country and fourth in the next.
How do people in East Asia pay for bitcoin?
Credit or debit card is a listed payment rail in 5 of the 7 countries, Local bank transfer in 4, P2P trade in 3. Counted from each guide's own payment vocabulary, under the local name the guide uses; the rail's own page lists every country that carries it.
Which countries in East Asia have the most exchanges to choose from?
Japan with 5, Hong Kong with 4 and Macao with 4 ranked exchanges. A count is how many platforms the guide ranks after checking that each one serves residents and takes a local payment rail, not how many claim the country on their own site.