Korea Makes Strides in Establishing the Legal Framework for Security Tokens

Hitachi collaborates with Concordium on biometric crypto walletJapan’s Hitachi Solutions, a subsidiary company of the Hitachi multinational conglomerate, has joined forces with the Concordium Foundation, unveiling a collaboration that centers on a state-of-the-art biometric crypto wallet.Photo by Nuno Antunes on UnsplashAlternative approach to securing cryptoAnnounced on Tuesday by the Concordium Foundation, a Swiss-based development team behind the Concordium layer one blockchain, this “proof of technology” initiative has the potential to fundamentally change how users access and secure their cryptocurrency accounts.Breaking away from traditional methods, the proposed biometric crypto wallet leverages users’ fingerprints or facial scans to generate a set of seed words, eliminating the need for users to store or remember them. This novel approach simplifies the restoration process, allowing users to recover their accounts with a mere biometric scan.Improving UXIf crypto and Web3 are to be adopted by ordinary people en-masse, user experience has long been identified within the sector as an area that still requires development. Making users responsible for the storage of a private key is fraught with difficulty, given the likelihood of private keys being lost or compromised.Various approaches are being taken to solve this issue. Tangem Wallet is one such alternative that utilizes near-field communication (NFC) in combination with an app and a card with an inbuilt chip, negating the need for the user to memorize a private key.This biometric-centered approach from Hitachi and Concordium represents another user-friendly approach to the problem of user authentication, harnessing the power of Hitachi’s Public Biometric Infrastructure (PBI) and Concordium’s self-sovereign identity framework. The result is an account creation process based entirely on biometric data, enhancing both security and user convenience.Complementary technologyConcordium’s network, with its stringent ID process for account creation to combat malicious activities, stands to gain substantial benefits from this technology. The biometric wallet will fortify users’ access to their IDs, a critical aspect of network security. Moreover, the technology’s applicability extends beyond Concordium, offering potential integration with any blockchain network.Users of the biometric wallet will have the flexibility to unlock their accounts either by regenerating seed words through a biometric scan or by decrypting a copy of the seed words. This dual-layered approach ensures that access is granted solely through the user’s unique biometric data, enhancing security and mitigating the risk of loss or theft.Developing this cutting-edge technology poses challenges, particularly in handling the inherent “fuzziness” of biometric data, where no two scans produce identical results, even from the same individual. Hitachi’s team addressed this by employing fuzzy key generation and specialized error correction technology, effectively distinguishing between scans.Unlike traditional crypto wallets that necessitate secure storage of seed words, the biometric wallet by Hitachi and Concordium, alongside solutions like multiparty-computation wallets and magic links, aims to overcome this hurdle. The goal is to resolve the issue of lost backup, a significant barrier to wider crypto adoption.This is not Hitachi’s first foray into the crypto/blockchain space. In mid-November the company announced a collaboration with the Japan Exchange Group (JPX), banking giant Nomura and Nomura portfolio company BOOSTRY to launch a $69 million digital green bond on the blockchain. In October Hitachi joined a consortium of Japanese companies with a view towards developing decentralized identity technology.

OSL Parent Company Denies Sale PlansBC Technology Group, a Hong Kong-based investment holding company, has firmly denied recent reports suggesting it is exploring the sale of its licensed digital asset business, OSL, for up to HK$1 billion (US$137.3 million).Photo by Nextvoyage on PexelsCompany stock plummetsThis comes in response to a report that emerged via Bloomberg on Monday. The news of the possible sale had a significant impact on the company’s stock, which plummeted by over 22% to HK$3.35 the following day.BC Technology Group, which has been listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange since 2012, is the parent company of OSL. The reports hinted at the possibility of selling off parts of the business, citing undisclosed sources.In response to these rumors, BC Technology Group issued a formal statement to clarify the situation, deeming the article “factually inaccurate and highly misleading.” It vehemently refuted any intention to sell OSL, a key player in the cryptocurrency exchange sector.First licensed exchangeOSL was the first cryptocurrency exchange to be licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong in 2020, initially operated under a voluntary scheme and was limited to serving professional investors. However, the recent licensing requirement broadened its scope, allowing it to cater to retail investors as well, including popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.Both OSL and HashKey had their licenses upgraded this year, enabling them to serve retail investors as per the new policy. However, the reception to this new regulatory framework has been somewhat lukewarm, with only five local exchanges applying for the new virtual asset trading platform (VATP) license. The SFC had to publish a list of applicants following a financial scandal involving the JPEX crypto exchange, which led to over 2,500 complaints and losses totaling approximately HK$1.5 billion.The backdrop of this unfolding situation is Hong Kong’s efforts to establish itself as a significant virtual asset hub. The city announced its ambition to transform into a hub for digital assets a year ago, drawing considerable attention from cryptocurrency exchanges. These efforts included implementing new regulations in June that mandated licensing for cryptocurrency exchanges.Several companies with connections to Hong Kong and mainland China have expressed their intent to obtain a license, potentially taking advantage of Hong Kong’s favorable stance toward virtual assets when compared to mainland China’s strict regulations.High compliance costsNonetheless, high compliance costs in Hong Kong continue to pose a barrier, potentially preventing the city from becoming the primary base of operations for crypto businesses. Industry insiders estimate that the cost of compliance from start to finish can be as high as HK$60 million for a company. Firms have reported that obtaining a trading license in Hong Kong can involve an outlay of between HK$20 million and HK$200 million.As per BC Technology Group’s mid-year report, the company reported a net loss of HK$94.7 million in the first half of 2023. This marked a notable improvement compared to the HK$312.1 million in losses during the same period the previous year. OSL remains a significant source of income for the company.

Japan’s cryptocurrency market has surged to become the fastest-growing in the Asia-Pacific region, driven by a government overhaul of its digital asset policies. On-chain transaction value jumped 120% in the year ending June 2025, according to a new report from Chainalysis. The expansion signals renewed activity in a market long characterized by its cautious approach. The Japanese government is increasingly open to crypto as a mainstream investment class through a series of reforms, including proposed friendlier tax laws and the licensing of regulated stablecoins, aiming to attract investment and foster a domestic Web3 industry.Photo by Daniel Hehn on UnsplashOverhauling a strict tax codeA central pillar of the reform is a proposed change to Japan’s tax code, which currently subjects crypto gains to rates of up to 55%, compared with a flat 20% on stock profits. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is backing proposals to introduce the same 20% rate for crypto starting in fiscal 2026, along with rules that would allow investors to carry forward losses for up to three years. The measures, which require parliamentary approval, are intended to align digital assets more closely with traditional financial instruments. Uncertainty has emerged, however, with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to resign. Ishiba has been supportive of the crypto industry, and the LDP’s leadership election on Oct. 4 could reshape the policy outlook. Sanae Takaichi is seen favoring tighter oversight, Shinjiro Koizumi more receptive to digital assets, and Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato stressing a balance between investor protection and innovation. Paving the way for a stablecoin eraThis political transition coincides with a shift in the Japanese market, which remains heavily concentrated in just a few assets. Over the past year, yen-denominated trading was dominated by XRP with $21.7 billion in volume, outpacing Bitcoin ($9.6 billion) and Ethereum ($4.0 billion). While political developments add unpredictability to the outlook, successful regulatory reforms could set the stage for positive change. One potential catalyst is the government’s recent licensing of the first issuer of a yen-backed stablecoin. Stablecoin issuer JPYC received Japan’s first funds transfer service provider license in August, with its launch anticipated in October. Broader access to stablecoins, digital tokens pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar or yen, is expected to provide Japanese traders and institutions with a more familiar tool for settlement. Major financial players are also moving in this direction. SBI Group, a leading financial conglomerate, recently deepened its partnership with Ripple to distribute RLUSD, an enterprise-grade U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, in Japan. SBI plans to make the regulated stablecoin available by March 31, 2026. Corporate Japan bets on blockchainAt the same time, SBI Group also recently partnered with infrastructure provider Startale Group to build a blockchain-based trading platform for tokenized real-world (RWA) assets like stocks. The venture is a bet on the burgeoning tokenization market, which Ripple and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) project could reach nearly $19 trillion by 2033. Alongside moves by major financial groups, Japan is also nurturing its homegrown Web3 talent through the J-StarX Program, coordinated by JETRO Dubai and sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This year, more than half a dozen Japanese startups, together raising over $17 million, were selected for the initiative, spanning blockchain infrastructure, AI-driven platforms, and advanced fintech solutions.  Since August, the cohort has been preparing for international exposure, with showcases scheduled at GITEX GLOBAL 2025 in Dubai and a visit to Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 in October. The initiative reflects Japan’s strategy of expanding overseas networks for its startups while positioning them to access the UAE’s growing Web3 and fintech markets.