The Financial Services Agency is considering allowing commercial banks to invest in cryptocurrencies, an official has said, in a fresh sign of the country’s growing openness to digital assets.
The financial regulator is weighing letting banks buy and hold virtual currencies as their own investments as long as they have a structure to properly manage risks linked to the assets, the official said, asking not to be identified because of the agency’s policy. It is also considering allowing banking groups to apply for licenses to operate cryptoexchanges, he said.
Japanese policymakers are taking a more positive view of crypto as U.S. President Donald Trump’s embrace of the assets bolsters the industry. The FSA has been undertaking a broad review of crypto rules that could lead to lower taxes for retail investors and approvals for domestic investment funds, while also toughening protections for consumers after past scandals.
The Yomiuri newspaper reported the development over the weekend.
Crypto is pushing further into mainstream financial services in the country.
Nomura Holdings, Japan’s largest brokerage, is preparing to apply for a license to offer crypto trading services for institutional clients in Japan. Daiwa Securities Group has also made it possible for clients at its branches to use Bitcoin and Ether as collateral to borrow yen.
Even if it lifts the ban on banks investing in crypto, the FSA remains wary of allowing them to sell crypto assets to clients, the official said.
The agency is weighing the move partly for banks that are interested in adding cryptocurrencies to their diversified investment portfolios, not as a measure to stimulate trading of the assets, he added.
