Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the government supports crypto trading through regulated stock and commodity exchanges. During the New Year opening ceremony at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Katayama called 2026 Japan’s “digital year” and added that the goal is to move crypto into existing market systems. The Finance Minister’s comments indicate that Japan does not want crypto growth to sit outside its financial system. The government wants digital assets traded where rules, supervision, and ...

ICYMI:🇯🇵👥 MAUs for @jpyc_official are going vertical.A chart to follow 👇 https://t.co/CakfQRg23G ...

🇯🇵⛓️ ICYMI: The JPYC supply is growing the fastest on @0xPolygon.The present is multichain & multicurrency. https://t.co/dsDThHU7D3 ...

Core Insights - Startale Group has launched Startale USD (USDSC), an institutional-grade dollar stablecoin, as the default settlement currency for the Soneium network, which is an Ethereum layer-2 platform [1][2] - The launch of USDSC is accompanied by a rewards program called STAR Points, incentivizing transactions through the Startale App [1][3] - The global stablecoin market is valued at over $310 billion, with predictions indicating an 88% chance that total capitalization will not exceed $360 billion before February [5] Company Developments - Startale Group's USDSC aims to provide a stable and trusted currency for users and creators on the Soneium platform, facilitating payments and yield opportunities [2] - The underlying infrastructure for USDSC is provided by the universal stablecoin platform M0, which integrates issuance, application logic, and liquidity [2] - The Startale App is currently open for a waitlist, allowing early access to USDSC features and STAR Points [3] Industry Trends - Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) has approved several stablecoin initiatives, including a dollar-pegged stablecoin by Circle and a yen-stablecoin pilot by major banks, indicating a growing regulatory acceptance of stablecoins in the region [4] - The stablecoin market is experiencing momentum, with various projects and partnerships emerging to enhance the infrastructure and usability of stablecoins [4]

Stablecoin Activity on Polygon - Over $10 billion worth of international stablecoins, including XSGD, BRZ, and JPYC, have been transacted on Polygon [1] Global Transactions - Polygon is presented as a reliable network for global stablecoin transfers [1]

Cryptocurrency Lending Platform Expansion - Morpho is expanding its global lending network to include Japanese Yen (JPY) [1] - Morpho will support lending and borrowing with the JPYC stablecoin [1]

New Asset Listing - JPYC, a tokenized version of the Japanese yen, has been listed [1] - JPYC is available on Ethereum, Avalanche (AVAX), and Polygon [1] Market Position - The Japanese yen is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market [1]

Product Launch - Circle launches StableFX, an institutional-grade stablecoin FX engine combining RFQ execution with onchain settlement [1] - Circle introduces Circle Partner Stablecoins, a program supporting select regional issuers to expand stablecoin currencies available in StableFX [2] StableFX Features - StableFX aims to deliver seamless execution, a wide range of assets, and instant settlement [2] - StableFX is designed for competitive RFQ pricing across liquidity providers, instant onchain settlement, and 24/7 capital-efficient design [3] Partner Stablecoins - Initial participants in Circle Partner Stablecoins include AUDF, BRLA, JPYC, KRW1, MXNB, PHPC, QCAD, and ZARU [4] Technology and Access - StableFX is currently live on @Arc Testnet [2]

New Product Launch - Circle 发布 StableFX，一个机构级别的稳定币外汇引擎，结合了询价执行（RFQ execution）与链上结算 [1] - Circle 推出 Circle Partner Stablecoins 计划，支持特定的区域发行方，扩大 StableFX 中可用的稳定币种类 [2] Technology and Design - StableFX 目前在 @Arc Testnet 上线 [2] - StableFX、Circle Partner Stablecoins 和 Arc 旨在提供无缝执行、广泛的资产范围和即时结算 [2] - StableFX 提供有竞争力的询价（RFQ）定价，覆盖多个流动性提供商 [3] - StableFX 支持即时链上结算 [3] - StableFX 采用 24/7 全天候资本高效设计 [3] Partner Stablecoins - 初始参与者包括 AUDF by @ForteAUD, BRLA by @aveniaio, JPYC by @jpy_coin, KRW1 by @BDACSKorea, MXNB by Juno (a @Bitso company), PHPC by @coinsph, QCAD by @stablecorp, ZARU by the @ZARUniversal [4] Market Focus - 外汇市场是世界上最大的市场，但也是现代化程度最低的市场之一 [1] - 旨在加速向全球互联金融系统（运行在稳定币轨道上）的转变 [2]

Core Insights - Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) is proposing new registration rules for crypto custodians and trading service providers to enhance oversight of the digital asset infrastructure [1][4][9] Regulatory Changes - A working group under the Financial System Council met to discuss the proposal, which mandates that all third-party custody and trading management firms register with regulators before offering services to crypto exchanges [3][4] - Exchanges will be required to use systems developed only by registered entities, addressing the current lack of similar regulations for external service providers [4][5] Security Concerns - The current framework requires crypto exchanges to safeguard deposits, but external service providers are not subject to the same rules, creating security vulnerabilities [5][9] - The urgency for these changes was highlighted by the DMM Bitcoin hack in 2024, where 48.2 billion yen ($312 million) worth of Bitcoin was stolen, exposing weaknesses in outsourced service oversight [5][6] Support for New Regulations - Most members of the working group support the new registration system, emphasizing the need for clearer regulations in the growing crypto ecosystem [6] - The FSA plans to compile a formal report and submit proposed amendments to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act during the 2026 ordinary Diet session [6] Broader Digital Finance Agenda - The initiative aligns with Japan's efforts to balance innovation and investor protection, as evidenced by the recent approval of the first yen-backed stablecoin, JPYC, and a stablecoin pilot project involving Japan's three largest banks [7][8]