Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama announced her intention to make cryptocurrency and blockchain assets part of the infrastructure of stock and commodity exchanges. The speech took place during the opening ceremony of trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on the first business day of 2026.

Katayama called 2026 a "digital year" for the country's financial system and emphasized that digital assets should be made accessible to a wider audience through regulated exchange mechanisms.

The Role of Exchanges and the International Context

According to the minister, stock and commodity exchanges play a key role in ensuring mass public access to digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and blockchain instruments. She noted that exchange infrastructure can ensure transparency, investor protection, and trust in new financial products. Katayama cited the United States as an example, where crypto ETFs have become widespread and are used as a hedge against inflation risks. She believes similar approaches could be implemented in the Japanese market.

The minister also linked digital transformation to a broader economic agenda, including combating long-term deflation and transitioning from a savings model to an investment-driven economy. Authorities expect the development of digital assets and fintech to be supported by proactive fiscal policy and growth investments.

In December, Japan approved a new digital asset taxation model, gradually equating cryptocurrencies with traditional financial instruments. The key innovation of the reform is the elimination of taxation on unrealized profits and the transition to a more transparent system for accounting for income from token transactions.