Korean Crypto Exchange Operator Airdrops NFTs to Raise Biodiversity Awareness

Japan’s largest bank is stepping deeper into digital assets at a moment of political change. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and its securities arm Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities (MUMSS) have launched a blockchain-based business, according to CoinDesk Japan. The move puts the country’s biggest lender at the center of a fresh push to bring regulated finance onto distributed ledgers while retail investors gain a new way to buy and trade tokenized products. MUMSS has begun offering bond security tokens, marking its formal entry into the security token market. At the same time, the firm introduced ASTOMO, a trading venue for retail investors built with Japanese fintech company Smartplus. The system will debut with real estate-backed security tokens. Individuals can invest from 100,000 yen (about $655) through a smartphone app. Under the partnership MUMSS will select and source the digital securities. Smartplus will run account management and build and operate the trading system using its Brokerage as a Service (BaaS) platform. MUFG also revealed that it has started preparing a public offering of subordinated bonds in token form. The bank intends the instruments to qualify as Tier 2 capital under international rules. The offering is expected to be the first of its kind for Japan’s banking sector. MUFG has submitted an amended securities registration statement to the Director General of the Kanto Local Finance Bureau in advance of the sale.Photo by Asm Arif on PexelsTakaichi’s victory sparks interest in Japan’s crypto pathThe corporate steps arrive as conservative lawmaker Sanae Takaichi rises to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. She won the party election on Oct. 4 and is set to become Japan’s first female prime minister, with lawmakers expected to make the formal choice in the middle of this month.  Several industry voices see her leadership as supportive of digital assets, according to Cointelegraph. Elisenda Fabrega, general counsel at tokenization platform Brickken, said Takaichi’s victory might reshape how Japan perceives and regulates digital assets, reinforcing the country’s commitment to clear and reliable crypto laws. Maarten Henskens, chief operating officer at Startale Group and head of the Astar Foundation, chimed in to say that a looser monetary stance under Takaichi could keep liquidity flowing and drive greater investor interest in alternative assets such as cryptocurrencies. That optimism has already spilled into Japan’s equity markets. The Nikkei index has continued to soar since the leadership vote, reaching a record high of 48,580.44 on Oct. 9. Not all signals point in the same direction. A BeInCrypto report published before the election noted market predictions that Takaichi might also back tighter oversight. The report cited her March proposal to build a framework that lets financial institutions, including crypto exchanges, share information on suspicious transactions. That system would support faster account freezes. Nikkei 225 Index Source: Google FinanceLoose fiscal tone brings new pressures for BitcoinFrom a broader economic view, the picture looks more complex. CoinDesk reported that Takaichi’s preference for easy Abenomics-style policies could weigh on Bitcoin in the short term. Expansionary fiscal measures tend to increase bond supply and drive yields higher, which often curbs risk appetite by raising borrowing costs and making assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies less appealing. Her stance has also reduced expectations for a Bank of Japan rate hike, weakening the yen and strengthening the U.S. dollar. The stronger dollar has cooled Bitcoin’s momentum, while gold has continued to attract investors seeking stability. MUFG’s blockchain venture arrives at a turning point for Japan. The bank’s push into tokenized assets shows how traditional finance is adapting to digital change just as new leadership tests the balance between innovation and control. Whether this marks the start of a broader transformation will depend on how policy, regulation, and investor confidence evolve together in shaping Japan’s financial future. 

South Korean retail investors are pulling back from cryptocurrencies after months of falling prices, rotating capital into domestic equities in a sharp reversal from last year’s trading boom, according to a report by Bloomberg.Photo by Timothy Ries on UnsplashCrypto prices have declined since October, leaving many individual traders nursing heavy losses. In January, trading volumes on local exchanges have dropped roughly 65% year-on-year. By contrast, trading value on the KOSPI, the primary benchmark index of Korea's stock market, has surged 221% over the same period, reflecting a decisive shift in retail risk appetite. Korean investors—who had heavily favored volatile altcoins—are now reallocating funds into domestic and overseas equities, particularly artificial intelligence and robotics stocks. Brokerage margin balances have surpassed 30 trillion won ($20.8 billion), suggesting speculative capital has migrated rather than disappeared. South Korea has long been one of the world’s most retail-driven crypto markets, with individual investors playing an outsized role in price formation and trading volumes. The recent downturn, however, has exposed the risks of a market concentrated in smaller tokens. The rotation back to equities has also coincided with political momentum around boosting the stock market, including President Lee Jae-myung’s pledge to push the KOSPI toward 5,000. Ownership limits spark debateAs retail enthusiasm cools, regulatory questions are moving to the forefront. A debate has emerged over potential limits on major shareholders’ stakes in crypto firms—a proposal that has stirred controversy over governance and competitiveness. According to MoneyToday Broadcasting MTN, Democratic Party lawmaker Min Byoung-dug recounted a recent dinner conversation in Seoul in which Eric Trump, the second son of U.S. President Donald Trump, reportedly reacted skeptically to the idea. Trump was said to have questioned whether such ownership restrictions would be conceivable in the United States. Supporters argue that ownership caps could strengthen oversight and reduce excessive concentration of control in crypto firms. Critics warn they could deter investment and weaken Korea’s position in an increasingly competitive global market. Innovation continues despite slowdownEven as crypto volumes shrink, financial innovation tied to digital assets is pressing ahead. Decentralized exchange Lighter said on X that it will support perpetual futures contracts linked to major Korean equities. The products include exposure to Samsung, SK Hynix, and Hyundai, as well as a KOSPI index-based contract with 10x leverage. The move reflects a broader convergence between crypto platforms and traditional financial assets.  Regional competition intensifiesKorea’s regulatory direction is also being watched across Asia. Speaking at the Consensus Hong Kong, lawmaker Johnny Ng said the city could draw lessons from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates in shaping its crypto framework. According to CoinDesk, he noted that the UAE has established a robust regulatory structure with dedicated oversight, while Korea operates a government body tasked with supervising crypto activities. As financial centers compete to attract crypto businesses, clarity in regulation has become a strategic differentiator. For now, Korea’s crypto market appears to be recalibrating rather than collapsing—with retail traders retreating, policymakers debating guardrails, and new leveraged products testing the boundaries of innovation. Whether this marks a transition toward a more mature phase or merely a pause in speculative fervor may depend on how the country balances investor protection with growth. 

China Furthers Efforts to Shape the MetaverseFindings by US political media outlet POLITICO suggest that Chinese authorities and state-owned companies are seeking to mold the metaverse in line with existing systems in China such as the country’s social credit scoring system.The concept of the metaverse entails a network of interconnected immersive virtual worlds powered by virtual reality, augmented reality, and simulations. Development in this area is centered around applications such as online gaming and virtual events.Photo by Hanson Lu on UnsplashDigital Identity SystemIn a report published on Sunday, POLITICO referenced recently drafted proposals put forward by China Mobile, a state-owned telecoms operator. The proposals outline a “Digital Identity System” for users within online virtual worlds and metaverses.These proposals recommend the use of “natural characteristics” and “social characteristics” within digital IDs, encompassing personal data such as occupation, “identifiable signs,” and other attributes. Moreover, they suggest storing this information “permanently” and sharing it with law enforcement to ensure order and safety within the virtual realm.Setting agreed benchmarks for emerging techThe proposals present a hypothetical scenario involving a disruptive user named Tom, who causes turmoil in the metaverse. The digital identity system, according to these proposals, would facilitate prompt identification and punishment by law enforcement.These discussions are occurring within the framework of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations (UN) agency responsible for establishing global technology standards. This strategy echoes China’s endeavor to set worldwide benchmarks for emerging technologies.The ITU, as a UN agency, holds significant sway in defining global telecommunications and technology infrastructure standards. Given that the US and China have quite different outlooks when it comes to technology governance, particularly the future development of the internet and related technologies, the ITU has become a means through which common ground can be found and differences resolved.Upcoming vote on proposalsChina Mobile’s proposals, presented during the ITU’s metaverse focus group meeting, are poised to be voted on during the next meeting in October in Geneva. The company is the largest mobile operator by subscriber base. Demonstrative of ongoing tensions that exist between the US and China, the company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in 2021 following a US executive order.Chinese organizations are reportedly submitting more proposals than their Western counterparts, demonstrating that China is very much taking a lead in metaverse development. It’s evident that there is a clear strategy for China to establish itself in furthering this technology.In May, Alibaba Cloud, a subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, entered into a partnership with layer one blockchain Avalanche to better enable businesses to deploy metaverses. Around the same time, an administrative body within China’s Henan Province established a $22 million dollar investment fund, focused on financing metaverse-related ventures.Later that month, the city of Zhengzhou announced a set of policy proposals designed to support the growth and development of metaverse companies in the region.Within the Chinese autonomous territory of Hong Kong too, there has been plenty of metaverse-related activity. Metaverse start-up Artifact Labs completed a funding round with a view towards expanding its operations. The city is home to Animoca Brands, a prominent player in metaverse-related development.