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Japan passes bill to classify cryptoassets as financial products

Japan passes bill to classify cryptoassets as financial products

Upper House approval moves crypto under Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, adding insider-trading and disclosure rules while supporting potential spot crypto ETFs and later tax reform discussions.

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Fact Check
The CoinPost article dated 2026/07/15 (p=725027) directly confirms the FIEA amendment bill was passed and enacted at the House of Councillors (参院本会議) plenary session, reclassifying crypto as a financial product and opening paths to ~20% separate taxation and crypto ETFs. Nikkei corroborates that the bill was to be enacted at the July 15 plenary, positioning crypto as a financial product for the first time. CoinDesk and other outlets confirm the Lower House passed it in June 2026 with the 20% tax and ETF elements. Every component of the claim — House of Councillors enactment, shift to FIEA framework, 20% separate taxation path, and ETFs — is supported by primary and authoritative sources.
Summary

Japan’s House of Councillors approved an amendment to bring cryptoassets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, shifting them away from the Payment Services Act framework and adding insider-trading prohibitions, issuer disclosure requirements, stricter penalties for unregistered operations and a ¥2 million retail cap for unaudited offerings. The move is seen as laying groundwork for spot crypto exchange-traded funds in Japan and for later tax changes from rates that can reach 55% to a separate self-reported tax of about 20% with three-year loss carryforwards, though additional implementation steps remain. The legislation advanced as Bitcoin briefly traded above $65,000 and risk sentiment improved after cooler U.S. inflation data, while U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $181 million in net inflows and U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs added about $58 million.

Terms & Concepts
  • Financial Instruments and Exchange Act: A Japanese law that governs financial products, securities businesses and market conduct.
  • spot crypto exchange-traded funds: Listed funds designed to track the price of cryptoassets directly rather than through derivatives.
  • insider trading prohibitions: Rules that bar trading based on important non-public information that could affect an asset’s price.