Japan

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is looking into two major cryptocurrency exchange platforms as part of an investigation into internal oversight.

The Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck has launched a Bitcoin over-the-counter (OTC) trading service, 15 months after it lost $532 million in XEM through a hack.

Japanese regulators have reportedly approved draft amendments to the country's financial instruments and payment services laws, introducing stricter regulations for margin trading of digital assets.

In spite of the crypto bear market, mobile wallet provider BRD wants to accelerate its international expansion, and it has secured $15 million in its Series B round to do it.

Huobi is back in Japan, this time as a fully regulated exchange under Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA).

Japan’s Financial Services Agency has granted self-regulatory status to the country's cryptocurrency industry, giving the Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) authority to oversee the space.

According to Japanese authorities, during the first six months of 2018, cyber thieves made off with a startling $540 million (60.503 billion yen) in cryptocurrency in Japan.

The hacker siphoned off 4.5 billion yen from user accounts and 2.2 billion yen from the company’s own assets. The three virtual currencies stolen include bitcoin, monacoin and bitcoin cash.

Huobi Japan Holding Ltd. has acquired a majority stake in Japanese cryptocurrency exchange BitTrade, marking the top-three exchange’s formal entry into the Japanese market.

Creditors of Mt. Gox, the defunct cryptocurrency exchange, can now start submitting proofs of claim in a newly approved rehabilitation process.