Japan has approved a large-scale reform of crypto regulation: Bill No. 57 passed the committee of the lower house of parliament on 10 June 2026, the plenary session on 11 June, and was transferred to the upper house on the same day. The document amends two key laws at once — the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and the Payment Services Act.

Japan’s three largest banking groups, among the country’s leading financial institutions, are working on a joint stablecoin project to develop blockchain-based payment systems. According to Reuters, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group plan to issue a joint stablecoin by March 2027.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has formally approved new rules allowing foreign trust-type stablecoins to operate within the country’s national payment ecosystem. The amendments were published on 19 May 2026.

According to Nikkei Asia, the two largest Japanese online brokerage firms are developing their own cryptocurrency-based investment funds and plan to sell them to retail investors. SBI Securities will distribute funds created by its subsidiary SBI Global Asset Management. The fund lineup will include both ETFs and investment trusts linked to liquid assets such as Bitcoin and Ether.

Japan Exchange Group (JPX), the largest exchange operator in Japan, is preparing to take an important step into the cryptocurrency market. According to the company’s plans, the target year for listing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on digital assets is 2027.

In an official statement, the platform announced the start of sending notifications to users whom the system has identified as residents of Japan. The notice states that services for Japanese users will be discontinued, and starting in 2026, phased restrictions on access to accounts and exchange services will be applied to them.

The Japan Exchange Group (JPX) is considering measures to limit the growing number of publicly listed companies that hold digital tokens as treasury assets. Among the proposed steps are stricter listing rules and additional screening of companies shifting into the crypto sector.

Japan has launched its first government-backed Bitcoin mining project in partnership with Canaan and a regional power company partially owned by the state. The initiative includes a 4.5-megawatt facility equipped with hydro-cooled Avalon mining rigs, which adjust their operations based on grid load — shutting down during peak consumption periods and resuming when renewable energy is in surplus.

The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, Bybit, announced that starting October 31, it will suspend new user registrations in Japan to align with new regulations introduced by the country’s Financial Services Agency (FSA).

Japan has launched the world’s first stablecoin pegged to the yen. The cryptocurrency, called JPYC, was developed by the startup of the same name, Reuters reports. The stablecoin is backed by bank deposits and Japanese government bonds (JGBs).

The shift in approach will pave the way for the launch of spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for bitcoin and other digital assets, as cryptocurrencies will be reclassified under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.