Japan Prepping for Overhaul of Crypto-Related Laws

According to reports, Japan’s Financial Services Agency is looking to implement an overhaul of cryptocurrency-related laws. The associated changes, which will go into effect next year, will see everything from the crypto tax rate to the treatment of ETFs adjusted to reflect current industry practice. 

This comes as Japanese investors are paying much more attention to the asset class. A decade ago, cryptocurrency was mainly underground and many mainstream organizations actively shunned it. Now, it is one of the most popular asset classes around and has been racking up wins after wins. In fact, this most recent crypto bull run has been so successful that many are looking to fill their portfolios with both old and new tokens. As an article from Coinspeaker explains, many are looking for the best crypto list to buy now to take advantage of the market.

But as the market only heats up, there is a duty of care from regulators to govern it properly, and this is where these amendments come in. One of the first changes will be adjusting the crypto tax rate to 20%. This means that it will follow a similar pattern to traditional assets like stocks and encourage investment among Japanese citizens. 

Crypto taxation has always been a hot-button issue, with some nations criticized for how they have handled it. Depending on several factors, the crypto tax rates in Japan could go as high as 55% depending on certain factors but now, it will be at a lower uniform price. 

But clearly, Japan is now going in the opposite direction. 

Along with this, Japanese crypto investors can carry forward their losses for up to three years, and this has been widely celebrated. Cryptocurrency will also enjoy a new legal status within Japan. Thanks to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), they will be considered financial products as opposed to a means of payment. This might seem like a simple legal reclassification, but crypto experts will tell you that such treatments can go a long way towards adoption. In Japan’s case, it begins to clear the pathway towards the launch of exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

ETFs have been very popular around the world, with the United States approving funds for both Bitcoin and Ether last year. These ETFs have gone on to attract billions of dollars in investment, and clearly, Japan wants a piece of the action. 

Finally, this act will see the Japanese government approve the first stablecoin later this year. Dubbed JPYC,  it will be issued by a Japan-based company, backed with bank deposits, and will offer greater exposure to investors. It is ironic that it is happening at this time, given that the US just passed the GENIUS Stablecoin Act, and currently, there is much more attention on them. Once the stablecoin is released, Japanese citizens will have even more options to use cryptocurrency. As these laws are rolled out, Japan could become an even bigger Force within the global cryptocurrency industry.