Japan’s JSCC, Mizuho, Nomura and Digital Asset have launched a proof-of-concept to test onchain management and 24/7 settlement of Japanese government bond collateral on Canton Network through September 2026.
Bakkt acquires a 30% stake in Japan's Marusho Hotta for rebranding to bitcoin.jp, backed by a $75M equity raise. This signals a pivot to a Bitcoin-centric treasury strategy and expansion into Asia.
bitFlyer Holdings announced that its Luxembourg subsidiary, bitFlyer Europe, has obtained a CASP license under the EU's MiCA framework, marking the first such license for a Japanese-origin crypto exchange. The license enables cross-border services across all 27 EU member states, completing bitFlyer's regulatory presence in Japan, the U.S., and Europe. With MiCA's full enforcement on July 1, Binance will exit Europe for failing to secure the license, while Coinbase and OKX are aggressively courting users. Only 244 crypto firms have obtained MiCA licenses so far, highlighting a high regulatory barrier that will reshape competition in the European market.
