Online broker Monex Group, known for buying hacked Japanese crypto exchange Coincheck in April, has announced it will launch cryptocurrency trading in the United States, Cointelegraph Japan reports Wednesday, Dec. 12. Monex held a conference in Tokyo, where John Bartleman — president of Monex’s U.S. subsidiary TradeStation Group, Inc. — took part. He announced that crypto trading will be available for U.S. customers starting Q1 2019. Moreover, Bartleman revealed that TradeStation is interested in crypto investments in general. The company has already joined the series B funding round of new U.S. crypto exchange ErisX, whose crypto services will soon launch …

The former CEO of defunct Japanese Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, Mark Karpeles, could spend ten years in jail over alleged embezzlement, Japanese daily news outlet Nikkei reported Dec. 12. Karpeles, who presided over the major hack of Mt. Gox in 2014 that resulted in the loss of 850,000 BTC ($2.87 billion), has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In a Tokyo court on Wednesday, prosecutors read out an indictment against the embattled executive, who is currently confined to Japan as a condition of his bail, claiming he stole funds worth 340 million yen ($3 million). The prosecution has asked for a ten-year …

There has been a significant wave of reports of suspicious cryptocurrency transactions to the police in Japan, English-language local media outlet Jiji.com reports Dec. 6. According to the report, the National Police Agency (NPA) have revealed that there have been 5,944 reports to the Japanese police about suspected illegal uses of cryptocurrencies, such as money laundering, between January and October. By comparison, the number of such reports last year was 669, but their number increased “after the implementation in April of a law obliging the [cryptocurrency exchange] operators to make reports to the police if they detect dubious digital currency …

Japanese financial services company SBI Holdings will partner with software firm R3 to expand local use of its Corda blockchain platform, Cointelegraph Japan reported Dec. 5. Quoting local news outlet Nikkei, the report reveals that SBI, which is involved in multiple cryptocurrency and blockchain-related activities, will expand on its existing investment in R3 to create a “joint venture” aimed at promotion. “Europe is the most advanced in blockchain product development,” R3 CEO David Rutter told Nikkei in an interview: “The new joint venture will strengthen the Japanese language service, and promote adoption.” The company added its R3 partnership would extend …

Members of the Group of 20 (G-20), an international forum for the governments and central banks of countries with developed and developing economies, addressed cryptocurrencies in their recent declaration on sustainable development of the global economy. Declaration summary: Crypto is important, but it needs to be put under scrutiny and tax regulations On Dec. 1, the G-20 declaration titled “Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development” was published on the official website of the Council of the European Union and the European Council. The document summarized the 13th gathering of G-20 nations that took place on Nov. 30 and Dec. …

Bitcoin.com CEO and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) proponent Roger Ver remained buoyant about cryptocurrency markets Dec. 4, telling Bloomberg the “future is brighter than ever.” In an interview in Tokyo, Ver, who has become known for his slighting of Bitcoin (BTC) in favor of Bitcoin Cash, briefly put the two coins’ differences aside to explain that despite price suppression, there remained a foolproof case for further adoption. “Long term, the future’s brighter than ever; there’s more awareness, there’s more adoption, there’s more stuff happening all over the world,” he told the network, continuing: “Of course I’m incredibly bullish on the whole …

The CEO of Japanese fintech firm and crypto exchange operator Quoine has said he believes Bitcoin (BTC) will “surpass” its all-time price highs by the end of 2019, during an interview with Bloomberg Markets: Asia Dec. 4. Speaking during the aftermath of an industry-wide price slump, Mike Kayamori said he expects new crypto market sentiment and momentum to set in after the new year, noting that “there’s nothing new, no catalyst” in the immediate future to drive prices back up. The CEO stated that whereas many had called $4,000 as the “technical bottom” for Bitcoin this winter, the top coin …

Japan’s government is seeking ways to prevent tax evasion on significant profits from cryptocurrency transactions, daily Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reports Tuesday, Dec. 4. According to sources familiar with the matter, the new system prepared by the government will allow the National Tax Agency (NTA) to get data from transaction intermediaries, such as crypto exchanges. The NTA will be able to solicit information on customers who are suspected of tax evasion, including names, addresses, and 12-digit individual identification numbers. The sources told the Mainichi Shimbun that the ruling coalition will start elaborating the new taxation system later in 2019, aiming …

GMO Coin, a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, has resumed Bitcoin Cash (BCH) trading with the BCHABC blockchain, Finance Magnates (FM) reports Dec. 3. GMO, one of Japan’s largest IT companies, owns GMO Coin. The platform saw around 208,000 users trading around 89 billion yen ($781 million) in the month of October, with profits up 34.4 percent quarter on quarter (QoQ). The exchange has reportedly “announced that it will be resuming BCH/JPY trading” tomorrow, Dec. 4. The trading had been “temporarily suspended” in an attempt “to avoid the disruption caused” by the recent Nov. 15 hard fork. Finance Magnates writes that they …

Kakao, South Korea’s largest internet conglomerate that operates applications and have nearly a 90 percent dominance in their respective markets, is running an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) to raise funds for its blockchain project called Clay. In March, Kakao released its initial attempt to conduct a token sale by establishing an entity in Switzerland. But, with resistance from the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the corporation was not able to pursue its plans. With no changes made to the regulatory framework regarding ICOs in South Korea, how has Kakao been able to raise funds to create a blockchain project? Private Sale …

The G20 countries have called for the taxation of cryptocurrency, as well as its regulation to combat money laundering, Japanese news outlet Jiji.com reports Dec. 2. According to Jiji.com, the final text of a document jointly delivered by G20 leaders calls for “a taxation system for cross-border electronic payment services.” The article then specifies that under current laws, foreign companies that do “not have a factory or other base in Japan” cannot be taxed by the local government. The publication then cites that the G20 leaders seek to “build a taxation system for cross-border electronic services.” The member states, which …

Japan’s financial regulator is set to introduce new Initial Coin Offering (ICO) regulations to protect investors from fraud, local news outlet Jiji Press reported Dec. 1. According to “informed” sources cited by Jiji, business operators conducting ICOs will be required to register with Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA). The agency is reportedly planning to submit bills revising financial instruments, exchanges and payment services laws to the ordinary parliamentary session that starts in January. This action has been undertaken “in view of a number of possibly fraudulent ICO cases abroad” as a way “to limit individuals' investment in ICOs for better …