SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea’s government has called an emergency meeting to discuss the trading of cryptocurrencies, and measures on the market will be announced on Friday, a central bank official said on Wednesday.

FILE PHOTO: A copy of bitcoin standing on PC motherboard is seen in this illustration picture, October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

The official declined to give further details, but the announcement underscores how global regulators are grappling with the frenzy over cryptocurrencies, just days after the launch of the world’s first bitcoin futures.

Bitcoin-related shares slumped in early trade. Vidente Co Ltd (121800.KQ) and Omnitel Inc (057680.KQ), which hold stakes of South Korea’s biggest bitcoin exchange Bithumb, fell 8.4 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. Bitcoin mining-related company JCH Systems Inc (033320.KQ) shares dropped 4.2 percent.

South Korean policymakers are facing a growing chorus of calls to regulate the market as sharp volatilities in virtual currency trading such as bitcoin BTC=BTSP has created a new tribe of traders called "bitcoin zombies."

Earlier on Wednesday, Australia’s central bank governor said the fascination with virtual currencies feels more like a “speculative mania.”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3826868&forum_id=2#34904172)