Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama touted 2026 as the “year of digital” and said he fully supports the integration of crypto trading services by Japanese stock exchanges, according to a report by Japanese cryptocurrency news site Coinpost.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tokyo on January 5 to commemorate the first stock market trading session of the year, Katayama emphasized that regulated venues will play a central role in increasing the adoption of cryptocurrencies. “The role of securities and commodity exchanges is critical for the general public to enjoy the benefits of digital and blockchain-based assets,” she said.
Digital asset trading in Japan remains largely separate from traditional capital markets. This separation is a feature of Japan’s regulatory approach, as digital assets have long been governed under the Payment Services Act rather than the Securities Act. However, regulators are now considering moving cryptocurrencies into the securities framework governing stocks and bonds to better reflect how these assets are used and regulated.
Mr. Katayama also pointed to precedents overseas and highlighted how crypto investment products are gaining momentum in the United States. “In the United States, crypto investment products have become popular as a means of hedging inflation through ETF structures, and similar efforts are expected in Japan,” he said, indicating an openness to more mainstream crypto investment vehicles.
Her comments come as Japan’s Financial Services Agency plans to overhaul the regulation and taxation of cryptocurrencies by fiscal year 2026, including proposals to move crypto profits into a flatter tax framework and align certain digital assets more closely with traditional financial products. Industry insiders have long argued that such reforms are necessary to keep crypto activity domestic.
“As Minister of Finance, I will fully support exchanges’ efforts to develop a trading environment that utilizes such cutting-edge fintech and technology,” Katayama said, reinforcing the government’s shift from careful oversight to structural integration.
