Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., or Tepco, partnered with major Japanese trading company Itochu Corporation and started building a blockchain-based system to trade surplus electricity. According to Nikkei on June 18, the new system will be available to households in Japan within three years. The firms plan to collaborate with local governments and start a proof-of-concept by March 2021. If successful, it will be the first instance of surplus electricity trading between households in Japan. Tepco and Itochu will give households AI-based storage batteries and solar panels for free. The AI technology controls the amount of generated and consumed …

Despite the fact Ether is currently the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, Japanese crypto holders may prefer to hold XRP. According to the results of a survey posted to Twitter by Japanese cryptocurrency exchange BITMAX on June 12, Bitcoin (BTC) is nearly as popular as the XRP token among traders in Japan. 25% of the 1,498 people surveyed told BITMAX XRP was their favorite coin, compared to 26% who preferred BTC. Ethereum (ETH) came in third at 9%. “What is your favorite coin?” BITMAX survey. Gold=BTC; Red=ETH; Pink=XRP; Blue=others It’s worth noting that the small sample size like that …

This week’s headlines from Japan included Japan's minister of finance spurring conversation on crypto terminology, Merkle Science joining the Japan Security Token Association, Fobi Japan listing its own token, and Coincheck unveiling a digital meeting and voting solution. Check out some of this week’s crypto and blockchain headlines, originally reported by Cointelegraph Japan. Japanese politician talks about crypto terminology confusion Taro Aso, Japan's minster of finance, recently labeled cryptocurrency terminology as confusing, singling out the term "cryptographic assets" specifically. Industry conversation on suitable phrasing followed. A social media poll from Cointelegraph Japan showed the public's majority vote for the term …

A Japanese judge ruled in support of data tampering charges moved against Mark Karpeles — the CEO of now-defunct crypto exchange, Mt. Gox. At the end of March, Karpeles appealed his conviction on charges of having tampered with financial record data to harm his clients. Now, local news outlet Nikkei reported on June 11 that Tokyo District Court Judge Mariko Goto decided to uphold the previous ruling. Karpeles sentenced to over 2 years in jail The previous ruling sentenced Karpeles to two and a half years in jail for tampering with Mt. Gox data for February-September 2013 and depositing $33.5 …

The blockchain arm of Japan-based bitFlyer Holdings is debuting a new app for shareholder voting. According to an announcement by bitFlyer Blockchain, the new app — dubbed bVote — aims to allow Japanese corporations to conduct general shareholders meetings without requiring anyone to physically attend. Per bitFlyer, the app will be able to prevent vote forgery and manipulation and requires users to scan their My Number card (similar to Social Security Number in the United States) for identification. The firm will purportedly put its tech to the test at its own shareholder meeting on June 26. Using blockchain to prevent …

Bitfury, a cryptocurrency mining and blockchain development firm, is planning to launch a Bitcoin (BTC) mining fund in Japan in July. Katsuya Konno, the head of Bitfury Japan, confirmed the development with Cointelegraph Japan today. As uncertainty regarding traditional markets amid the coronavirus pandemic continues, investors are increasingly paying attention to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as an alternative investment. However, there has not yet been a way for investors in Japan to gain indirect exposure to Bitcoin through crypto-related infrastructure. The new offering will purportedly be the first crypto-mining fund in Japan, and will initially cater to institutional investors such as …

Japanese crypto firm Freessets has announced a new technology to enhance Bitcoin wallet (BTC) privacy. According to a June 8 announcement, Freessets has created a system that allows wallets to request their addresses’ Bitcoin balances without revealing it to the servers from which they request the balances or transaction history. The statement said that conventional Bitcoin wallets explicitly ask servers for the balance of their addresses, which links the balance, transactions and addresses. However, “using the technology Fressets has developed, it is mathematically proven that the servers cannot learn anything from the user’s query.” The significance of the development Adam …

Japanese blockchain development company Crypto Garage announced it was launching commercial service on its Settlenet platform for the crypto OTC market. According to an update on Digital Garage’s website posted on June 8, its Crypto Garage venture is launching commercial service for Settlenet, a settlement system using Blockstream’s Liquid Sidechain. Specializing in over-the-counter (OTC) transactions of digital assets for trading companies, crypto exchanges, asset managers and brokers, Settlenet has been in development since before January 2019, when Crypto Garage obtained regulatory approval from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) for a demo version. “In this demo, we went beyond proof of …

Cryptocurrency-powered web browser Brave is partnering with the Korean pop group BTS and Rush Gaming to provide a limited edition release of its browser for residents of Japan. Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported on June 5 that the Brave Browser and BTS — AKA the Bangtan Boys — have developed a browser exclusively for users in Japan. This is the first known collaboration between a privacy-based browser like Brave and a K-pop boy band. According to the Nikkei, the two aim to find a new touchpoint between idols and fans. Users of the limited edition browser can earn points by watching …

In Japan, one of the biggest home builders is making preparations for its contracts on certain rental homes to go on the blockchain. According to an announcement posted to the company’s website on June 8, Sekisui House said that it would use blockchain for rental housing contracts, including covering electricity and gas. The measures will be implemented before March 2021. Users staying in “Shamaison” rental homes will be able to register their phone numbers and addresses to enter the property without ever contacting a real estate agent. Existing technology makes it possible for Sekisui House clients to open and close …

This week’s headlines from Japan included Coincheck updating the public on a recent data leak, a blockchain tech outfit unveiling plans for a digital local currency, BitBank facing a breach similar to Coincheck, the Japan STO Association gaining its first full-time trust bank member, and Japan achieving the second highest 24-hour Bitcoin trading volume numbers for May. Check out some of this week’s crypto and blockchain headlines, originally reported by Cointelegraph Japan. Coincheck updates public on user data leak Tokyo-based crypto exchange Coincheck faced a hack between May 30 and June 1, leading to hundreds of users' leaked data. The …

The business of cryptocurrency custody is getting more competitive and lucrative by the day. The most recent announcement has come from Switzerland, where local family-owned bank Maerki Baumann announced on May 29 that it had expanded its cryptocurrency services through the introduction of crypto custody and trading. The private bank first announced its crypto initiatives in 2019 by extending business account services to blockchain companies. Thanks to regulatory approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, Maerki Baumann will initially offer trading and custody services on five major cryptos including Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. The bank’s announcement …