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Japan Plans Liability Reserves for Crypto Exchanges in Investor-Protection Overhaul

A Nikkei report says the FSA is preparing legal changes next year with a bill targeted for the 2026 Diet session.

Overview

  • Japan’s Financial Services Agency is developing rules that would require exchanges to hold dedicated reserves to reimburse customers after major incidents, according to Nikkei-sourced reporting.
  • Reserve sizes would be calibrated to each platform’s trading volume and past incidents, and exchanges could offset part of the requirement through insurance policies.
  • A separate framework would ensure customer assets are returned if an operator fails, requiring segregation of user holdings and allowing court-appointed administrators to distribute funds.
  • The approach is modeled on compensation reserves long mandated for securities firms in Japan.
  • The reserve plan forms part of wider reforms that include pre-registering custody and system vendors and advancing a shift to regulate many tokens under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.