Crypto & Digital Assets - Japan

RegulatedPayment Services Act (PSA) — Crypto-Asset Exchange Service Provider (CAESP) registration with the Financial Services Agency (FSA), supplemented by the Cabinet Office Order on Crypto-asset Exchange Service Providers and self-regulation by the JVCEA. A 2026 amendment package and a proposed shift to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA) are pending.

Japan operates a mandatory registration regime: any business exchanging, intermediating or custodying crypto-assets for Japanese users must register with the FSA as a Crypto-Asset Exchange Service Provider under the Payment Services Act. The framework is among the world's strictest on custody (≥95% cold storage, segregated client assets), and FSA reviews typically take 6+ months. A June 13, 2026 PSA amendment broadens registration to all custody/intermediary providers, and a Cabinet-approved bill (April 2026) would later reclassify crypto as financial instruments under FIEA with insider-trading rules, targeting effect in fiscal 2027.

Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/23/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →