VIRTUAL Spikes 28% as Upbit Listing Opens Door to South Korean Traders

VIRTUAL, the utility token of AI-driven Virtuals Protocol, experienced a sharp rally on Thursday after Upbit, South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, confirmed its listing.

The token surged 28% to $2.61, nearing a key resistance level after pulling back from its all-time high of $5.25 recorded on January 2, according to TradingView and CoinDesk data. The Upbit listing introduces VIRTUAL to South Korea’s active altcoin trading scene, with new trading pairs against KRW, USDT, and BTC.

Virtuals Protocol recently launched a buyback-and-burn program, using nearly 13 million VIRTUAL tokens collected from post-bonding transactions to decrease supply. Originally a Base-native project, the protocol expanded to Solana via LayerZero and launched a Meteora liquidity pool to enhance engagement. It has also begun converting 1% of trading fees into SOL to establish a reserve, reinforcing its cross-chain growth strategy.