Japan’s parliament poised to pass sweeping bill to regulate crypto like stocks

PolicyShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailJapan’s parliament poised to pass sweeping bill to regulate crypto like stocksThe new rules, which are expected to come into effect in 2027, aim to foster innovation and crypto market growth to meet internal and external demand for digital asset services.By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Jamie Crawley Jun 11, 2026, 10:32 a.m. 2 min readMake preferred on What to know: Japan’s lower house has passed a bill to regulate cryptocurrencies under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, treating them more like stocks and other investment products.The new rules, expected to take effect next year, would classify crypto assets as financial instruments, bringing lower taxes, stricter trading rules, and the potential launch of crypto exchange-traded funds.The legislation introduces stock-style insider trading bans, tougher disclosure requirements, investment caps for unaudited token offerings, and sharply increased penalties for operating unregistered crypto businesses.Japan could soon treat cryptocurrencies like stocks and other financial investments, rather than just as a payment method.The country's House of Representatives passed a bill that shifts crypto regulation from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.The Financial Services Agency (FSA) attributed the move to crypto quickly becoming a more mainstream investment asset in an announcement of the passage of the bill Thursday. Japan now has more than 14 million open crypto accounts, according to data cited by the FSA. Low- to middle-income everyday retail users are driving this growth, with people earning under 7 million yen ($43,600) a year accounting for roughly 70% of those accounts.The new rules, expected to take effect next year, would classify crypto assets as financial instruments,subjecting them to lower taxes and stricter trading rules. It also opens the door to new products like exchange-traded funds (ETFs)…

Japan’s parliament poised to pass sweeping bill to regulate crypto like stocks

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