The Japan Security Token Offering Association (JSTOA) has just released self-regulatory guidelines on how to separate customer assets and electronic record transfer rights. Available on the JSTOA website on April 20, the association attributes the guidelines to the revisions of the country’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), passed by the Japanese House of Representatives and set to be enforced starting May 1. At a meeting including employees and the Board of Directors, the association laid out the rules for electronic record transfer rights and management of customer assets, among others. The JSTOA will check the management of separately held …

One of the largest advertising companies in Japan is making it easier to recognize content creators on popular apps as a market force, even if they use copyrighted material in their work. According to an article from the Nikkei newspaper on April 20, Dentsu has partnered with Kadokawa Ascii research laboratories and others to begin Proof of Concept (POC) for rewards to independent content creators using blockchain technology. The targets for the POC are those commenting on ten popular Japanese comics — manga — with livestream apps. Copyright issues among content creators Creators on YouTube and other popular streaming apps …

Japan-based SBI Holdings announced on April 16 that it will begin using R3 blockchain-consortium technology for Forex Trading. This will be the first practical application of the Corda blockchain in the country. According to the announcement published in Nikkei Japan, the technology will be implemented in conjunction with a Tokyo-based systems management services firm called CAC. The use of Corda, which will be restricted within the company, will be used to share transaction history among involved traders. It will additionally be implemented between SBI Securities and SBI’s Forex platform Liquidity Market, or SBILM. Automatizing Forex’s transactions processes According to the …

One of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in Japan and one of the biggest Bitcoin brokers worldwide just announced it would be adding a new coin for trading. In an April 9 press release, crypto exchange bitFlyer said it would start trading Brave’s Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) in Japan. It has been four months for bitFlyer to list a new coin since it supported Ripple (XRP) December 2019 BAT was recently approved by FSA for trading. GMO coin, another exchange registered with FSA, just started trading it last month. Brave benefiting from high traffic during pandemic With much of the world …

DeCurret, the exchange promoting cryptocurrency to be used as a payment method for Japan’s massive public transportation system, just restructured its capital. According to an April 10 press release by the crypto exchange, DeCurret announced that it had issued new shares worth 2.75 billion yen — approximately $25 million — in a third-party allocation of shares. The company plans to use the capital to “enhance transaction services for existing virtual currencies” and to promote the “expansion of digital currency and settlement services”. Crypto used as payment for public transportation in Japan? Though several prefectures in Japan have been under a …

A subsidiary of Japanese financial services giant SBI Holdings has seen its share of Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision (BSV) mining pool share rise since the first halving on April 10. According to cryptocurrency information site CoinDance, cryptocurrency mining company SBI Crypto held about 4.4% of the total shares of BSV last week, but those numbers jumped to 15.28% on April 13. Source: Coindance The halving of BSV comes just a short time after BCH's halving event on April 8, and approximately one month prior to Bitcoin's halving, expected between May 11-13. SBI Holdings’ ties to Craig Wright Yoshitaka Kitao, Chief Executive …

This week’s headlines from Japan included GMO Coin unveiling Basic Attention Token (BAT) lending, Nitori using blockchain for furniture logistics, blockchain solution outfit, Ginco, receiving funding from DBJ Capital, Japan's stay at home order impacting crypto businesses, and a representative from the Japan Restoration Association questioning crypto taxes. Check out some of this week’s crypto and blockchain headlines, originally reported by Cointelegraph Japan. GMO Coin exchange announces BAT lending In an April 10 statement, Japanese crypto exchange, GMO Coin, unveiled lending features for Brave Browser's Basic Attention Token (BAT). The new capability means customers can lend their BAT to other …

According to top government officials in Japan, the current national tax system is not yet capable of accepting declarations of digital assets, potentially leading to outflows overseas. In a Q&A session at the Financial Statements Committee on April 6, Representative Shun Otokita of the Japan Innovation Party pointed out the importance of market research for the introduction of separate taxes for crypto currencies. Otokita was concerned with the current high-tax system in Japan. He acknowledged that it would be difficult to quickly change the tax code to apply to digital assets, and indicated the necessity of market research to determine …

A group of researchers has devised a blockchain-based mechanism to perform legal functions in a so-called “digital court,” according to an April 6 announcement. Professors Hitoshi Matsushima from the University of Tokyo, and Shunya Noda from the University of British Columbia, have been leading the project, which aims to settle legal disputes without the need for a “costly legal process.” In the announcement, the University of Tokyo clarified that this would be an extension of existing ideas for smart contracts without a centralized administration. A digital court’s advantages and challenges The University says that the benefit of the system is …

New laws for regulating cryptocurrencies in Japan will start to be enforced next month. The Payment Services Act (PSA) and Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), two of the pieces of legislation passed by the Japanese House of Representatives last year to regulate crypto, were scheduled to come into effect starting in April. However, with unexpected delays, no enforcement date had officially been set until last week. In the April 3 edition of an official government newsletter, it was announced that the revised versions of the PSA and FIEA would be enforced in Japan starting on May 1. Changes to …

This week’s headlines from Japan included the country’s Financial Services Agency revealing feedback from the public on recent regulation, the Cabinet Office Ordinance announcing regulatory changes, Zaif exchange removing three crypto assets, Bitbank’s COO predicting crypto exchange mergers, and Nomura Research Institute issuing Japan’s first blockchain-based bond. Check out some of this week’s crypto and blockchain headlines, originally reported by Cointelegraph Japan. Japanese FSA receives comments on new regulations The Japanese Financial Services Agency, or FSA, unveiled 172 comments from citizens and groups, pertaining to recent crypto asset laws taking effect on May 1. The fresh laws span several areas, …

A new report has found strict regulations in Japan are likely to benefit new players in the long term. Double jump.tokyo, the game developer behind My Crypto Heroes, introduced So & Sato, a Japan-based law firm specializing in crypto and blockchain, to Cointelegraph Japan. On March 31, the law firm released a report covering all aspects of digital assets in the Asian nation, from tokenized securities to crypto derivatives. Entering the crypto market under strict regulations Joerg Schmidt and So Saito from So & Sato told Cointelegraph Japan in an interview that local regulations for cryptocurrency exchanges are “far stricter” …