Japan Moves to Regulate Crypto Like Stocks in Market Growth Push

Japan’s parliament is poised to pass legislation bringing cryptocurrencies under the same regulatory framework as stocks, a move that’s set to expand access to digital assets.

The bill, which was passed in the lower house on Thursday, would classify crypto assets as financial instruments, making them subject to lower taxes and stricter trading rules and opening the door to new products like exchange-traded funds. It’s expected to take effect next year after going through the upper house.

The proposed legal changes come amid growing demand for crypto assets among Japanese financial institutions and retail investors, a trend accelerated by Donald ...