Japan's Financial Services Minister: 2026 is designated as the "Year Zero of Digital Assets," and support will be given to exchanges to improve the digital asset trading environment.

According to CoinPost, Japan's Minister of Finance and Financial Affairs, Saki Katayama, stated at the Tokyo Stock Exchange's New Year opening ceremony that 2026 will be designated as the "Year Zero of Digital Assets," emphasizing the crucial role of commodity and securities exchanges in promoting the widespread adoption of digital and blockchain assets. She pointed out that to ensure the public truly benefits from digital assets, accelerated adoption should be achieved through exchange infrastructure. She also mentioned the trend in the US of using ETFs to hedge against inflation, suggesting that Japan should actively promote similar developments, and stated that as Minister of Finance, she will fully support exchanges in creating a more advanced digital asset trading environment.