Japan | Crypto

Standard Chartered-backed Zodia Custody has exited its Japan venture with SBI Holdings after two years, with both firms calling the move a strategic realignment. Zodia Custody, the digital asset custody firm backed by Standard Chartered, has dissolved its joint venture with Japan’s SBI Holdings two years after launching the initiative. The venture, known as SBI Zodia Custody, was 51% owned by SBI and 49% by Zodia Custody. According to its website, the project aimed to replicate institutional-grade custodial services in the digital asset space. “This is a strategic alignment between SBI and ourselves as a mutual decision that we have other priorities and they have other priorities,” Julian Sawyer, CEO at Zodia Custody, reportedly told Bloomberg. Read more

Japan’s Financial Services Agency proposed moving crypto oversight from the Payment Services Act to the stricter Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) presented a proposal that would significantly tighten crypto regulation. A Tuesday FSA report recommends regulating cryptocurrencies under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), moving them from under the Payment Services Act. This aims to strengthen investor protection and align crypto oversight with securities regulation. The regulator said that many issues within crypto resemble those traditionally addressed under the FIEA, so it may be appropriate to apply similar mechanisms and enforcement. Read more

Japan readies its first yen-backed stablecoin, signaling a shift from regulatory caution to active participation in digital finance. Japan was the first country to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Yet, until now, it has taken a seemingly passive role in the technology, with no blockchain-based representation of its national currency, the yen. That may soon change.  After years of quiet infrastructure development, Japan is preparing to launch its first fully collateralized, yen-backed stablecoin later this year. Takashi Tezuka, Japan’s country manager at Web3 infrastructure provider Startale Group, told Cointelegraph that the gap between Japan and the United States on stablecoins reflects a deeper philosophical difference. Read more

“Japan prizes systemic stability above innovation speed, while the US is signaling a bigger market-opening play,” said Startale Group’s Takashi Tezuka. While the US GENIUS Act is being celebrated as a market catalyst for stablecoin adoption, Japan’s earlier reforms show the flip side: Clarity doesn’t automatically translate into immediate real-world utility.  Japan had the world’s first comprehensive stablecoin regime in 2023, but adoption has been muted. Licensed issuers exist on paper, yet there’s no thriving yen-stablecoin economy. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Takashi Tezuka, country manager at Web3 infrastructure developer Startale Group, said the adoption gap between the US and Japan reflects a philosophical difference in regulatory design. Read more

Tokyo-based Monex Group is weighing the launch of a yen-pegged stablecoin, with its chairman, Oki Matsumoto, citing the need to keep pace in digital finance. Tokyo-based publicly traded financial services company Monex Group is considering a Japanese yen-pegged stablecoin. According to a Tuesday TV Tokyo report, Monex Group Chairman Oki Matsumoto told the outlet that the company is considering issuing a yen-pegged stablecoin in Japan. “Issuing stablecoins requires significant infrastructure and capital, but if we don’t handle them, we’ll be left behind,” Masumoto said. He concluded: Read more

Bitcoin holds $110K as Japan embraces crypto, CBDC fears grow, and Webull expands U.S. trading. What’s next for BTC prices? The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Holds $110K as Japan, CBDC Debate, and Webull Fuel Momentum appeared first on Cryptonews.

Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said crypto deserves a spot in portfolios, while pledging to build a sound trading environment for the sector. Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato recognized that cryptocurrencies deserve a place in diversified investment portfolios. According to a Monday Bloomberg Japan report, Kato acknowledged the role of cryptocurrencies in a diversified investment portfolio during a speech. He was addressing the public from the stage during his keynote at Web3 Conference WebX 2025 in Tokyo. “While crypto assets carry the risk of high volatility, by establishing a proper investment environment, they can become an option for diversified investment,” Kato said. Read more

Ripple, a leader in enterprise blockchain, has partnered with SBI Holdings and its subsidiary SBI VC Trade Co., Ltd. to distribute Ripple USD (RLUSD) in Japan. The post Ripple, SBI Group to Roll Out RLUSD in Japan appeared first on Cryptonews.

SBI partners with Circle, Ripple and Startale to launch stablecoin ventures and a tokenized asset trading platform in Japan. Japanese financial conglomerate SBI inked new blockchain partnerships with USDC issuer Circle, XRP developer Ripple and the Web3 company Startale. SBI Group announced the three separate partnerships on Friday, including stablecoin-related collaborations with US companies Circle and Ripple, and a new tokenization project with Singapore-based Startale. In cooperation with Startale, SBI plans to build an onchain trading platform for tokenized stocks and real-world assets (RWAs) to enable 24/7 trading. Read more

The two plan to roll out a U.S. dollar stablecoin in Japan under new rules that open the market to foreign issuers.

SBI VC Trade, a licensed Electronic Payment Instruments Exchange Service Provider, said it expects RLUSD to go live in Japan during the first quarter of 2026.

Major Asian economies step on the stablecoin throttle, India’s reconsiders punitive crypto tax, and more. Major Asian economies are accelerating their stablecoin initiatives, with notable moves from Japan and China over the past week. Japans top financial regulator is reportedly preparing to approve the countrys first yen-pegged stablecoin within the year. The token, issued by fintech startup JPYC, will be backed by liquid assets such as government bonds.  According to finance outlet Nikkei, JPYC is expected to register as a money-transfer business this month and aims to issue 1 trillion yen (about $6.81 billion) worth of stablecoins over the next three years. Read more

Major Asian economies step on the stablecoin throttle, India’s reconsiders punitive crypto tax, and more. Major Asian economies are accelerating their stablecoin initiatives, with notable moves from Japan and China over the past week. Japans top financial regulator is reportedly preparing to approve the countrys first yen-pegged stablecoin within the year. The token, issued by fintech startup JPYC, will be backed by liquid assets such as government bonds.  According to finance outlet Nikkei, JPYC is expected to register as a money-transfer business this month and aims to issue 1 trillion yen (about $6.81 billion) worth of stablecoins over the next three years. Read more

Japan and South Korea are moving quickly to create clearer rules for stablecoins as global interest in digital currencies grows. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to hold steady value by linking to fiat currencies, commodities, or other assets. Their use in payments, trading, and DeFi has expanded rapidly, with forecasts suggesting the market could grow into […] The post Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea advance stablecoin regulatory efforts appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Japan’s FSA is set to approve JPYC as the country’s first yen-pegged stablecoin, a move that could reshape demand for Japanese government bonds. Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is preparing to approve the issuance of yen-denominated stablecoins as early as this fall, marking the first time the country will allow a domestic fiat-pegged digital currency. Tokyo-based fintech firm JPYC will register as a money transfer business within the month and will lead the rollout, Japanese news outlet The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Sunday. JPYC is designed to maintain a fixed value of 1 JPY = 1 yen, backed by highly liquid assets such as bank deposits and Japanese government bonds. After purchase applications from individuals or corporations, the tokens are issued via bank transfer to digital wallets. Read more

Metaplanet has outperformed the Topix Core 30 index year-to-date, a benchmark tracking corporate giants like Toyota, Sony and Mitsubishi. Bitcoin-focused investment company Metaplanet has surged almost 190% year-to-date (YTD), leaving Japan’s largest and most liquid blue-chip companies in its wake.  On Wednesday, Metaplanet released its earnings report for the second quarter of 2025. The report showed that the company’s YTD performance dwarfed the 7.2% average gain posted by the Tokyo Stock Price Index (TOPIX) Core 30, a benchmark tracking giants like Toyota, Sony and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Metaplanet’s standout performance in 2025 comes amid its aggressive Bitcoin (BTC) pivot, with the Tokyo-listed company expanding its treasury through regular purchases.  Read more

The following article is a guest post and opinion of Maksym Sakharov, Co-founder and CEO of WeFi. Last month, Japan’s Financial Services Agency proposed a wholesale reclassification of cryptocurrencies that would introduce a flat 20% tax on digital asset income and help introduce crypto exchange-traded funds. For a long time, the country’s progressive tax system […] The post Japan’s crypto paralysis is cultural; tax cuts won’t fix it appeared first on CryptoSlate.

XRP is gaining renewed traction in Asia, driven by fresh institutional interest and infrastructure developments in South Korea and Japan, two of the region’s key crypto hubs. This resurgence comes as the token’s price has remained relatively bound around the $3 mark over the past month, coinciding with the continued expansion of the XRP Ledger’s […] The post Institutional interest boosts XRP’s resurgence in South Korea and Japan appeared first on CryptoSlate.

SBI Holdings unveiled plans for exchange-traded products, including a gold-crypto ETF and a Bitcoin-XRP dual ETF. Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings plans to launch the country’s first dual-asset cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF), offering exposure to both Bitcoin and XRP. In its earnings report Thursday, the company outlined plans for two crypto-based ETF products. The first product proposal combines gold and crypto asset ETFs bundled into a trust.  According to the company, this would allocate 51% into gold-based ETFs and 49% into crypto-asset ETFs, such as Bitcoin ETFs; this will be publicly offered as an investment trust in Japan. Read more

Japan is proposing a major reform in its tax regime for crypto assets. If passed, these changes will make digital asset investing simpler for crypto investors. Crypto investors in Japan are bracing for a major tax shake-up in the country. On Jun. 24, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) proposed classifying crypto assets as financial products, similar to equities, bonds, etc. This reclassification would put crypto assets under the scope of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), a regulatory framework that is applicable to traditional financial products in the country. Japan has long been recognized as a global pioneer in cryptocurrency adoption and regulation alike. 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for digital assets in the world’s fifth-largest economy. The FSA’s proposal is aligned with the government’s wider “New Capitalism” initiative, which aims to transform the nation into an investment-driven economy. By aligning crypto taxation with traditional financial products, Japan aims to s...