Japan’s Finance Minister: 2026 will be positioned as the “Year One of Digitalization,” with hopes to popularize digital assets through stock exchanges

BlockBeats News, January 5, according to CoinPost, Japanese Minister of Finance and Financial Services, Katayama Kazuki, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the first trading day of the new year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, designating 2026 as the "Digital First Year."

Katayama Kazuki stated that for citizens to enjoy the benefits of digital assets and blockchain assets, commodity and securities exchanges need to play an important role, expressing anticipation for the popularization of cryptocurrencies and digital assets through exchange infrastructure. She pointed out that in the United States, crypto assets have become a means for the public to combat inflation through ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds), suggesting that Japan may adopt similar measures.

Katayama Kazuki also stated that, as the Minister in charge of financial affairs, she will fully support the efforts of exchanges to build a trading environment utilizing cutting-edge financial technology, and looks forward to the stock market reaching new highs this year.