South Korea’s cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has launched its third annual dormant asset recovery campaign, revealing a sharp decline in unclaimed digital assets on its platform. According to the exchange, dormant cryptocurrency holdings have dropped to 291.6 billion won (about $201 million), marking a 34% decrease from last year’s 443.5 billion won ($306 million). The reduction reflects both successful recovery efforts and changes in market conditions.
The latest figures follow Bithumb’s previous campaign, during which around 36,000 users reclaimed a combined 70.6 billion won ($49 million) worth of forgotten crypto assets. Market price fluctuations also played a role in the year-over-year decline, as valuations shifted alongside broader crypto market trends. Despite the drop, the total amount of dormant assets remains substantial, highlighting the scale of long-unused accounts on major exchanges.
This year’s recovery initiative targets approximately 2.57 million accounts that have shown no login or trading activity for at least one year. Among these dormant accounts, the largest single unclaimed holding is valued at 4.1 billion won (around $2.8 million). Bithumb also reported an exceptionally high Bitcoin return rate of up to 61,106% in some long-inactive accounts, underscoring how early investments can grow dramatically over time.
One of the most notable cases involves an account that has remained untouched for 4,380 days, nearly 12 years. This dates back to Bithumb’s founding in 2013, suggesting that some of its earliest users may still be unaware of significant crypto holdings. Moon Sun-il, Bithumb’s Head of Service, said many customers do not realize they still own digital assets or have left them unattended for extended periods, adding that the campaign aims to help users rediscover and actively use their funds.
Bithumb first introduced its dormant asset recovery program in 2023, when unclaimed holdings totaled 267.3 billion won ($184 million). The figure rose sharply in 2024 amid a strong crypto market rally before declining again this year. Despite intense competition, Bithumb continues to hold its position as South Korea’s second-largest crypto exchange by user base and trading activity, reinforcing its role as a key player in the country’s digital asset ecosystem.
