Japan | Crypto

A 2028 start depends on FIEA enforcement landing in 2027, while eligible assets and product approvals face separate gates. The post Japan passes the crypto law traders wanted but its 20% tax could still wait until 2028 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Japan’s revised Financial Instruments and Exchange Act introduces crypto insider trading rules, tougher penalties and new oversight requirements for crypto businesses. Japan is set to reshape its cryptocurrency market with stricter trading rules, stronger user protections and a framework closer to traditional finance. The country’s parliament on Wednesday passed revisions that classify crypto assets as financial assets under Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), according to a report by local news agency Nikkei. The changes move Japan’s crypto regulation away from the Payment Services Act (PSA), which treated digital assets primarily as payment instruments, and introduce insider trading rules and stronger oversight for crypto businesses. Read more

The companies will explore using USDC for JCB’s cross-border treasury operations and merchant payments in Japan as regulated stablecoin adoption gains momentum. Japan’s largest domestic payment network, JCB, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Circle to explore using USDC for cross-border payments and merchant transactions. Under the memorandum, the companies will initially explore using USDC for JCB’s internal cross-border fund transfers through a proof of concept, while also evaluating stablecoin payments at merchants in Japan for international visitors. The companies said they will also assess technologies that support interoperability across multiple blockchain networks. The agreement builds on a separate initiative JCB launched in January with Digital Garage and Resona Holdings to test stablecoin payments at physical stores in Japan. That project focuses on identifying technical and operational challenges to bringing stablecoin payments to domestic merchants. Read more

JCB and Circle will explore using USDC for cross-border payments and merchant transactions as Japan ramps up efforts to bring stablecoins into everyday commerce.

Bitcoin backed mortgages and stablecoin yield are hot topics in Japan right now, as Hyundai experiments with Avalanche for global stablecoin transfers. Asia Express A crypto wallet linked to a suspected romance-scam money launderer processed more than $122.5 million in 10 months, according to Interpol. Interpol said that Thai authorities arrested two suspects and uncovered a money-laundering network that funneled proceeds from romance scams into cryptocurrencies, using cross-chain token swaps to obscure the trail. The investigation was part of Operation First Light 2026, an Interpol-coordinated campaign targeting social engineering scams and the financial infrastructure used to launder their proceeds. Read more

SBI VC Trade will open JPYSC lending applications on July 16, offering an initial 3% annual rate for a 12-week term without deposit insurance. Tokyo-based SBI VC Trade will begin accepting applications Thursday for a Japanese yen-denominated stablecoin lending service offering an initial annualized rate of 3% on JPYSC lent for 12 weeks. Customers will lend JPYSC to the SBI Holdings subsidiary from Thursday and receive the tokens back with a lending fee at maturity, the company said in a Monday press release. At the advertised rate, the gross return over the 12-week term would be about 0.69%, before tax. The company said the product pays more than the 0.325% to 1% annual rate SBI cited for ordinary yen deposits. Still, it is not a bank deposit, is not covered by deposit insurance and generally cannot be canceled early. Read more

Lawson will test yen stablecoin payments in Tokyo as Netstars launches a merchant service supporting USDC, USDT and JPYC. Japanese convenience-store operator Lawson plans to test yen-denominated stablecoin payments at a Tokyo location in August, examining whether stablecoin payments can work inside a standard convenience store checkout flow. On Monday, blockchain company HashPort said it had signed an agreement with Lawson and telecom group KDDI to conduct the trial at the Lawson Takanawa Gateway City store. Participants will use HashPort's non-custodial wallet, while the store will process payments through the company's point-of-sale system without needing to open or manage crypto wallets.  The pilot aims to explore how stablecoin payments can be integrated into Japan’s existing retail infrastructure while shielding merchants from much of the operational complexity associated with accepting digital assets. Read more

Metaplanet said it is studying Bitcoin-backed digital credit products in Japan with JPYC and Progmat, but no product has been launched. Japanese investment and Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet's securities arm, Metaplanet Securities, stablecoin issuer JPYC and tokenization infrastructure provider Progmatare are tying up on a joint study on Bitcoin-backed digital credit products in Japan. The study involves using BTC as collateral and a credit enhancement tool combined with the Japanese yen-pegged JPY Coin (JPYC) stablecoin for settlement and payments, while security tokens will be used to manage holder rights, Metaplanet said Friday. The joint study will examine whether Bitcoin can be used as collateral or credit enhancement for digital corporate bonds and other credit instruments, with 24/7 accessibility, settlement and daily interest accrual for holders, issued on the blockchain ledger. No product has been launched yet as part of the experiment. Read more

The bitcoin treasury company is working with JPYC and Progmat to explore tokenized credit products backed by bitcoin, aiming to create efficient, 24/7 credit markets in Japan.

Ripple and SBI announced the official launch of RLUSD in Japan on June 24, following JFSA approval, with the stablecoin available to institutional and retail users through SBI VC Trade. Ripple categorized RLUSD under Japan's Payment Services Act as a new type of electronic payment instrument for foreign-issued stablecoins, the first time the company has […] The post Ripple got RLUSD into Japan, now the stablecoin race begins as Circle and Nomura join appeared first on CryptoSlate.

JPYSC officially launches today, Japan's first yen stablecoin, issued by SBI Shinsei Trust Bank and distributed through SBI VC Trade. The post SBI Group Launches JPYSC, Japan’s First Trust Bank-Backed Yen Stablecoin appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to 1% on June 16, the highest level the country has seen since September 1995 and the furthest point yet in a normalization campaign that has slowly dismantled three decades of near-free money. Going into the decision, the track record pointed one way: every one of […] The post Bitcoin shrugged off Japan’s rate hike – The bigger liquidity test came from Washington appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Japan’s highest rates since 1995 are putting global liquidity back in focus as traders anticipate 26%–38% BTC price declines. Bitcoin (BTC) risked wiping out its Iran truce gains and returning toward the $60,000 psychological support as the Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its interest rates to their highest level in 30 years. Key takeaways: BTC has averaged a 5.74% decline in the 30 days after the last four BoJ rate hikes. Read more

Bitcoin's current relief rally is built on the back of the framework agreement between the US and Iran to halt their conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which sent Brent crude down roughly 5% to $82.95 and rippled through every asset that trades on inflation expectations. Bitcoin registered an intraday high of nearly $67,300 […] The post Bitcoin’s Iran rally faces Japan rate test as it weighs 31-year high appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Bank of Japan raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1%, the highest level since 1995.

Japanese crypto exchange Bitbank warns users of possible account suspensions for Polymarket-linked transactions, citing Japan’s gambling laws. Bitbank, one of Japan’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, warned users that transactions linked to prediction market platforms such as Polymarket could result in account suspensions due to potential conflicts with the country's gambling laws. In a notice published on Monday, Bitbank said it may restrict accounts making deposits or withdrawals connected to prediction market services. The warning highlights the regulatory uncertainty surrounding prediction markets in Japan, where local gambling laws may complicate Polymarket's previously stated interest in expanding into the country. Read more

Iran peace pumps Bitcoin as Japan pushes crypto ETF yet Whitehouse UFC appears dubious amid Trump crypto hype. The post Crypto News, June 15: Iran Peace Deal Roars Bitcoin, Japan $6.4 Billion Crypto ETF Market, WLFI and White House UFC Match appeared first on Cryptonews.

SBI Shinsei Bank is reportedly offering crypto deposit rewards to customers, with vouchers worth 20% of their interest payments redeemable for BTC, ETH, or XRP through SBI VC Trade. A three-month campaign launched on June 10, with a broader rollout planned for fall, covering ordinary deposits and time deposits from three months to five years, […] The post Japan’s SBI is using XRP to solve a banking problem appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Japan’s Lower House reportedly passed a bill that would bring crypto under the country’s financial instruments framework, potentially opening the door to ETFs and lower tax treatment. Japan’s Lower House reportedly passed a bill that would bring crypto assets under the country’s financial instruments framework, potentially opening a path to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and lower tax treatment for digital assets.  The bill would move crypto assets closer to the regulatory treatment of stocks and bonds by subjecting them to stricter trading rules, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The legislation is expected to take effect next year after going through the Upper House.  The proposed changes could lower the capital gains tax on crypto assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) from a current maximum of 55% to a 20% flat rate, in line with stocks and bonds. The tax change is expected to take effect in 2028. Read more

Japan is moving to regulate cryptocurrencies like stocks, with lower taxes, stricter trading rules, and possible ETF listings on the horizon.