banking
In the wreckage of the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), the Basel III framework was marketed as the definitive regulatory equalizer—a universal code designed to ensure that Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) operated on a level playing field. The strategic vision was a harmonized global standard that would eliminate
capital markets
Global prediction markets are currently witnessing an unprecedented explosion in liquidity, with industry frontrunners Polymarket and Kalshi reporting transaction volumes that have eclipsed $130 billion this year—a dramatic surge from $50 billion in the previous period. Conversely, Japan’s rigid anti-gambling framework, underpinned by a Penal Code that
capital markets
Japan’s Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) has recommended administrative action against Tokyo-based Moomoo Securities. The recommendation, submitted to the Prime Minister and the Commissioner of the Financial Services Agency (FSA), follows an agency investigation that uncovered severe compliance breaches, misleading retail practices, and systemic operational deficiencies at
Insurance
Prudential Life Insurance (Japan) concluded its fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, under the shadow of a self-inflicted operational crisis that has severely eroded its bottom line. While the insurer’s massive foundation of existing policies provided a veneer of "steady growth," the fiscal year was defined
digital assets
Laser Digital, the digital asset subsidiary of Nomura Group, has received preliminary conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a de novo national trust bank. The newly approved entity, Laser Digital National Trust Bank, will operate under federal supervision as a wholly owned
payments
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) has finalized a regulatory amendment that effectively dismantles the legal barriers once relegating global stablecoins to the speculative fringes of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA). By reclassifying foreign-issued trust-type stablecoins from "Securities" to "Electronic Payment Instruments" under
crypto
2026 legislative reforms will transition the oversight of crypto-assets from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA). By categorizing crypto-assets as investment products rather than simple payment methods, the government aims to strengthen investor protection and market integrity. The transition introduces rigorous disclosure
reinsurance
Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is significantly expanding its regulatory framework for insurance companies, with the proposed revisions to the "Comprehensive Guidelines for Supervision of Insurance Companies" signaling a heightened focus on the economic reality of reinsurance contracts, particularly "asset-intensive" structures that have become
crypto
The Cabinet Office on Friday submitted proposed legislative reforms to Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and the Payment Services Act, aimed at modernizing capital markets and enhancing investor protection, to the Diet. The headline-grabbing focus is reclassifying crypto-assets as financial products under stricter securities regulations to
insurance agency
The regulatory fog surrounding Japan’s insurance sector is finally clearing, and for the nation’s largest multi-agent players, the forecast is heavy oversight. Following a series of structural scandals that rocked the non-life insurance industry, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) has unveiled a sweeping set of amendments
DeFi
SBI VC Trade has released the results of a pioneering proof-of-concept (PoC) aimed at bringing institutional-grade compliance to Decentralized Finance (DeFi). The experiment, conducted under the auspices of the Financial Services Agency’s (FSA) "FinTech Proof-of-Concept Hub," marks a significant step toward a
stablecoin
SBI VC Trade, the cryptocurrency arm of Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings, has launched Japan’s first licensed stablecoin lending service, marking a significant milestone in the integration of US dollar-pegged digital assets into the Japanese regulated financial ecosystem. To celebrate the launch, the firm is offering an aggressive