The prices of cryptocurrencies are displayed on a screen inside the lounge of Bithumb, Korea’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, in southern Seoul, March 4. Yonhap

Financial regulators said Wednesday they will close loopholes in how cryptocurrency exchanges handle withdrawal delays by introducing a unified set of exemption rules across the industry.

The measure is aimed at preventing criminals, such as voice phishing and scammers, from quickly cashing out stolen funds. In many cases, illicit money is first deposited into an account, converted into cryptocurrency and then withdrawn before it can be traced or frozen.

Since May 2025, authorities have required exchanges to delay crypto withdrawals for 24 to 72 hours after a deposit. The…