South Korean Retail Investors Double Down on BitMine Immersion—Even After an 80% Plunge

Seoul's crypto faithful are digging in, not bailing out.

The Contrarian Bet

While most portfolios would be reeling from an eighty percent haircut, a specific cohort of South Korean retail traders is doing the opposite. They're not just holding; they're actively accumulating more exposure to a particular digital asset venture, betting that the current price represents a generational entry point rather than a terminal decline. It's a high-stakes game of conviction versus conventional wisdom.

Anatomy of a Gamble

This behavior defies the classic 'cut your losses' playbook taught in Finance 101 seminars—the ones that conveniently ignore how the instructors got rich selling those same seminars. The move highlights a unique blend of deep-pocketed resilience and a potent, almost ideological, belief in the underlying technology's long-term trajectory. It's less about day-trading and more about digital asset evangelism with a side of extreme risk tolerance.

The Bigger Picture

This isn't isolated FOMO. It signals a maturing, if fiercely speculative, layer of the Asian crypto market where retail players operate with the stubbornness of institutional whales. They're bypassing short-term noise, fueled by research and community sentiment, to back their thesis with cold, hard won. Whether this gets hailed as visionary grit or remembered as a cautionary tale depends entirely on what the next cycle brings.

TLDR

• South Korean traders invested $1.4 billion in BitMine despite 80% drop.
• BitMine’s ether treasury sparked a 3,000% rally, attracting high-risk investors.
• BitMine holds $12 billion in ether, the largest digital asset treasury focused on ETH.
• South Korean retail traders seek leveraged exposure through BitMine’s ETF despite losses.

Despite an 80% drop in its stock price from its July peak, South Korean retail investors are continuing to pour money into BitMine Immersion Technologies. The company’s pivot to accumulating ether has captivated high-risk traders, with a net $1.4 billion invested this year alone. The firm’s massive ether holdings and volatile stock movements continue to draw attention, even as its stock faces significant declines.

South Korean Retail Keeps Buying Ether-Hoarding BitMine Despite 80% Drop

South Korean retail traders have continued to show strong interest in BitMine Immersion Technologies, even after a sharp decline in its stock price. The company, which focuses on accumulating ether, has remained a popular choice among retail investors in South Korea, despite its shares plummeting by 80% from their peak in July 2025.

BitMine’s investment strategy has attracted significant attention due to its pivot from bitcoin mining to building an ether treasury. The company’s stock price surged over 3,000% after this move, drawing investors seeking high-risk exposure to the cryptocurrency market.

 https://twitter.com/WuBlockchain/status/2006039940245942327?s=20 

However, even after the dramatic drop in share price, South Korean retail traders have not pulled back. In fact, they have maintained their investments, pouring a net $1.4 billion into BitMine this year.

Retail Traders’ Continued Investment

The trend of South Korean retail investors favoring BitMine has not slowed, despite its stock experiencing severe volatility. BitMine is now the second most popular overseas equity among South Korean traders, trailing only Alphabet Inc. in terms of net buying activity. Despite the significant loss in value from its July peak, BitMine’s popularity among South Korean traders remains high.

This persistent demand is fueled by the company’s strategic decision to accumulate a large amount of ether. The firm holds about $12 billion in ether, positioning itself as one of the largest publicly listed holders of the cryptocurrency. For South Korean investors, this offers a way to gain exposure to ether without directly investing in the cryptocurrency.

High-Risk Trading and the 2X Leveraged ETF

South Korean traders have not limited their investment to BitMine’s underlying shares. Many have also sought more aggressive exposure through the 2X Long BitMine Daily Target ETF. This Leveraged exchange-traded fund is designed to magnify BitMine’s stock performance, offering traders double the daily returns. However, the ETF has also faced heavy losses, down about 86% from its peak in September 2025.

The ETF’s popularity highlights the high-risk appetite of South Korean retail traders, who are known for their willingness to engage in volatile investments. Despite the downturn, these traders continue to buy into the fund, showing a strong belief in the future potential of BitMine and its ether treasury strategy.

BitMine’s Future Prospects

While BitMine’s stock has struggled in recent months, its ether treasury remains a key asset. The company’s ability to accumulate and hold a significant amount of ether is seen as a major advantage in the volatile cryptocurrency market. 

With ether trading down by 11% in 2025, BitMine’s performance is closely tied to the price movements of the cryptocurrency. However, its strategy of holding such a large stash of ether may position it well should ether experience another significant rally in the future.

For now, South Korean retail traders are undeterred by the stock’s steep decline. They are drawn to the potential for high returns, driven by the amplified volatility of both BitMine’s stock and the broader ether market. This speculative interest shows no signs of waning, with retail traders continuing to actively buy shares and ETFs related to BitMine.