(C) Businees Insight

SEOUL — A retail investor, often referred to in Korea as a "Super Ant," has made headlines after recording a staggering profit of 9.7 billion KRW (approx. $7.2 million) from a single altcoin investment last year.

According to the "2025 Coinone Story" report released by the Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone on the 14th, the investor achieved a 1,043% return on the altcoin 'SOON', resulting in a total profit of 9.77 billion KRW.

The report, which analyzes user data and community trends from the past year, also revealed the presence of a "Super Whale." As of December 31, 2024, the top asset holder on the platform held approximately 38.2 billion KRW (approx. $28.3 million) in Bitcoin (BTC) alone.

XRP: The Most Talked-About Asset While Bitcoin remains the largest asset by value, Ripple (XRP) was crowned the most popular coin within the community. XRP-related tags appeared in nearly 20,000 posts, accounting for 12.8% of all community discussions. Interestingly, sentiment remained overwhelmingly bullish, with "Buy" certifications reaching 82% and "Profit" reports doubling "Loss" reports.

The Rise of Micro-Investing Despite the eye-popping figures from whales and super ants, the data suggests that the general public remains cautious. Out of 32,102 verified transaction posts, 93% involved amounts of less than 1 million KRW (approx. $740). This indicates that while massive gains capture the spotlight, the majority of the market consists of small-scale retail participants.

"The 2025 data reflects a polarized market where strategic high-stakes plays coexist with widespread micro-investing," a market analyst noted.