News linked to both this project and an event.
According to CoinPost, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Digital Society Promotion Headquarters’ “Next-Generation AI & On-Chain Finance Vision Project Team” released a policy proposal on May 19, advocating the integration of AI and blockchain to automate and enable 24/7 operation of decision-making, financing, and asset management—and designating finance as the “18th Growth Investment Sector.” Specific measures proposed in the document include: advancing tokenization of demand deposits at the Bank of Japan (including wholesale CBDC), with conceptual frameworks to be finalized by year-end; joint issuance of a stablecoin by Japan’s three major banks, targeting the launch of live operations by March next year; and promoting on-chain tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs), such as accounts receivable and real estate. At the international cooperation level, the proposal calls for establishing an “AI & On-Chain Finance Asia Policy Dialogue Framework” and advancing cross-border settlements using yen-denominated stablecoins, thereby realizing the “Global SC Corridor Vision.”
According to CoinPost, Japanese blockchain infrastructure company Nihon Blockchain Kiban has officially decided to issue the trust-based JPY-pegged stablecoin EJPY. The stablecoin is planned to be deployed on Japan Open Chain (JOC) and Ethereum, with the goal of launching issuance and circulation on JOC within fiscal year 2026. The announcement states that the trust-based architecture required for EJPY has achieved phased progress. The company noted that EJPY will primarily serve inter-corporate settlements, digital asset payments, fund transfers, and various Web3 payment use cases, and that it will advance a multi-chain strategy centered on JOC. Specific details—including the actual launch date, issuance terms, partner institutions, and supported blockchains—will be announced separately after consultations with regulatory authorities and relevant organizations and completion of necessary procedures.
According to CoinPost, the Japan Cryptocurrency Business Association (JCBA) officially released the “Best Practices for Crypto Asset Staking Services” guideline on May 7, covering operational requirements, emergency response, information disclosure, compliance management, external audits, and tax accounting—aiming to enhance the security and transparency of domestic staking services.
According to CoinPost, SBI Holdings announced on May 1 that it has officially begun negotiations with bitbank Co., Ltd.—the operator of the cryptocurrency exchange bitbank—regarding a capital and business partnership, with the aim of bringing bitbank under SBI’s consolidated subsidiaries. SBI will proceed with the share acquisition upon completion of due diligence and internal procedures; the specific timing and method of acquisition remain subject to further discussion. Previously, SBI’s subsidiary SBI VC Trade completed the absorption merger of BITPoint Japan in April.
According to CoinPost, at the “9th BCCC Collaborative Day” held on April 21, 2026, Mr. Shigeharu Shimizu, Chief of the Risk Analysis Division, General Policy Bureau of Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA), delivered a special keynote speech revealing significant progress in cryptocurrency regulation. The FSA has submitted a bill to the extraordinary Diet session proposing to transfer cryptocurrency assets from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. The bill centers on four key regulatory enhancements: strengthened disclosure requirements, establishment of a new category for independent operators, stricter penalties for unregistered operators, and comprehensive insider trading regulations. Meanwhile, the FSA is advancing three “Payment Innovation Projects (PIPs)” pilot experiments: 1) A cross-border yen stablecoin payment trial involving Japan’s three major banks; 2) On-chain settlement of government bonds, social bonds, and equities using blockchain technology, aiming to enable 24/7 continuous trading; and 3) A bank-to-bank tokenized deposit transfer experiment, which received official support on April 3 this month and will be coordinated with the Bank of Japan’s central bank reserve tokenization sandbox initiative. Mr. Shimizu stated that blockchain holds tremendous potential to enhance the convenience and diversification of financial services, and the FSA will continue advancing institutional development and practical implementation support.