Japan’s finance minister says she supports crypto trading at stock exchanges

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Japan’s finance minister says she supports crypto trading at stock exchanges Finance officials signal tax and regulatory changes aimed at bringing digital assets into the financial mainstream. By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Jamie Crawley Jan 5, 2026, 3:53 p.m. Speech by finance minister signals increasing openness toward crypto in Japan. (Photo by Intrepid on Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk). What to know : Japan's Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama supports integrating crypto trading with stock exchanges, marking 2026 as the "digital year." Katayama emphasized the importance of regulated venues in expanding crypto adoption during a ceremony in Tokyo. Japan's Financial Services Agency plans to overhaul crypto regulation and taxation by 2026 to align digital assets with traditional financial products. Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said she fully supports the integration of crypto trading services by the country’s stock exchanges, as she touted 2026 as the “digital year,” according to a report by Japanese crypto news site Coinpost . Katayama emphasized that regulated venues will play a central role in expanding crypto adoption at a ceremony in Tokyo on Jan. 5 to mark the first stock market trading session of the year. “For the public to enjoy the benefits of digital assets and blockchain-type assets, the role of securities and commodity exchanges is important,” she said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . Digital asset trading in Japan remains largely siloed from traditional capital markets. The separation has been a defining feature of Japan’s regulatory approach, as digital assets have long been governed under the Payment Services Act rather than securities law. However, regulators are now considering shifting crypto into the securities framework that governs stocks and bonds to better reflect how these assets are used and regulated Katayama also pointed to overseas precedent, highlighting how crypto investment products have gained traction in the U.S. “In the U.S., through ETF structures, they have spread as a means of hedging against inflation, and similar efforts are expected in Japan,” she said, signaling openness to more mainstream crypto investment vehicles. Her comments come as Japan’s Financial Services Agency advances plans to overhaul crypto regulation and taxation by the 2026 fiscal year , including proposals to move crypto gains into a flatter tax framework and align certain digital assets more closely with traditional financial products. Industry participants have long argued that such reforms are necessary to keep crypto activity onshore. “As finance minister, I will fully support efforts by exchanges toward developing such cutting-edge fintech and technology-enabled trading environments,” Katayama said, reinforcing the government’s shift from cautious oversight toward structured integration. Japan crypto regulation Crypto Trading Finance More For You KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market By CoinDesk Research Dec 22, 2025 Commissioned by KuCoin KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market. What to know : KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025 , equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month , marking its strongest year on record. This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume , as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes , which slowed during periods of lower market volatility. Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split , each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line. Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity , reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover. Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity , indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes. View Full Report More For You Bitcoin miners continue to face dwindling profits despite lower competition, JPMorgan says By Will Canny | Edited by Sheldon Reback 53 minutes ago Mining profitability declined last month, with daily block reward revenue down 7%, and 32% year-on-year. What to know : JPMorgan said the Bitcoin network hashrate fell for a second straight month in December, signaling easing competition among miners. Mining profitability continued to slide, with block reward revenue per exahash hitting a record low, down 32% year over year, alongside weaker gross profits. Despite weakness last month, U.S.-listed bitcoin miners and data center operators posted strong gains in 2025, with the group’s market cap up 73% for the year. Read full story Latest Crypto News Crypto traders can now speculate on housing prices through Polymarket 41 minutes ago Starknet goes down for over 4 hours, team is ‘actively investigating’ 48 minutes ago Bitcoin miners continue to face dwindling profits despite lower competition, JPMorgan says 53 minutes ago Bitmine Immersion adds 33,000 ETH, bringing total crypto and cash holdings above $14 billion 57 minutes ago CME Group’s average crypto derivatives volume hit record $12 billion in 2025 1 hour ago CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: Cronos (CRO) Rises 9% as Index Gains Over Weekend 1 hour ago Top Stories Memecoin comeback talk builds as DOGE, SHIB, BONK rally in early 2026 2 hours ago Goldman Sachs upgrades Coinbase to buy, cuts eToro to neutral 1 hour ago Crypto Markets Today: Bitcoin climbs to highest level in four weeks as altcoins lag 4 hours ago Strategy boosted bitcoin holdings and cash reserve last week 2 hours ago Crypto wallet firm Ledger faces customer data breach through payment processor Global-e 3 hours ago CME Group’s average crypto derivatives volume hit record $12 billion in 2025 1 hour ago