Japanese finance minister signals push to integrate digital assets into finance

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said she sees integrating digital assets into the traditional financial system as an important next step, The Block reported. Speaking at a New Year's address at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, she stated that stock and commodity exchanges play a crucial role in providing access to digital and blockchain assets. Katayama announced that the government has designated 2026 as the Year of Digital and plans to actively support these exchanges in building an innovative trading environment. She also added that crypto ETFs are gaining popularity among investors as an inflation hedge.