TechFlow news, February 10 — According to Nikkei, Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) has begun considering classifying crypto assets as financial products similar to securities, aiming to require companies to disclose more detailed information for investor protection. Currently, the FSA is holding closed-door study meetings with experts to review whether existing regulation of virtual currencies is sufficient.
It is reported that the FSA has started designing a new framework, planning to announce systemic reform policies by June this year. After discussions at the Financial System Council in autumn, the agency intends to submit legal amendments to the ordinary Diet session in 2026. The new system also aims to lift the ban on "Bitcoin spot ETFs" and potentially reduce the current tax rate of up to 55% to 20%, aligning it with the capital gains tax rate, thereby balancing investor protection with market revitalization. A key question moving forward will be whether the regulatory scope will cover all crypto assets or only those such as Bitcoin and Ethereum that have already been approved as ETFs in the United States.
Recently, Bloomberg reported that "the expert research panel established by Japan's FSA broadly agrees that cryptocurrencies are beginning to be positioned as investment targets," which appears to be a response to the U.S. SEC's approval of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs, as well as the Trump administration's pro-crypto initiatives.
