Japan’s cabinet has reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial instruments and will introduce bans on insider trading plus annual disclosure requirements for token issuers. The measures aim to strengthen investor protection and bring crypto closer to regulated markets.
Rakuten Group announced on April 7, 2026 that it will add Shiba Inu (SHIB) to its mobile wallet, expanding access to the meme coin for Japanese users. The listing signals growing platform acceptance and could boost retail adoption and liquidity in Japan.
Japan’s FSA-regulated market now lists more than 100 crypto assets across 28 registered service providers, including Binance and Coinbase. The expansion reflects steady, regulation-led growth and greater market clarity for investors.
Preparations in Tokyo are wrapping up ahead of XRP Tokyo 2026, set to begin April 7 at the Hub and Complex. The conference is a focal point for developers, payments firms, exchanges and regulators in the XRP ecosystem.
Metaplanet purchased over $405.48 million of Bitcoin, lifting its reserves to 40,177 BTC and becoming the world’s third-largest corporate holder, surpassing MARA. The announcement came Thursday even as the company’s shares slipped.
Japan's financial watchdog has flagged crypto exchange KuCoin for offering over-the-counter (OTC) crypto derivatives without the required registration. The action follows prior scrutiny over the platform providing products and services in Japan without proper authorization.
Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has launched a project team to design a national framework for AI-driven on-chain finance, a move described as Tokyo’s most ambitious legislative push toward tokenized financial infrastructure.
SBI VC Trade will launch a retail USDC lending service in Japan on Thursday, March 19, 2026, letting users lend up to 5,000 USDC per fixed-term product. The offering opens a regulated channel for Japanese retail investors to earn yields on a popular dollar-pegged stablecoin.
Japan's Financial Services Agency is proposing to raise the maximum prison term for unlicensed cryptocurrency sales from three to ten years, Nikkei reported on March 16. The move aims to deter illicit sellers and tighten oversight of crypto transactions.
SBI Holdings is broadening an XRP-based rewards program under its CEO, rolling the incentive across more companies in the group. The move reinforces corporate-level support for token incentives and could boost XRP utility among investors and customers.