Sixteen regulator-approved cryptocurrency exchanges in Japan will form a self-regulatory organization, and others are expected to join later.
On March 2, the 16 Japanese cryptocurrency exchanges that have received approval from the country's financial regulator, the Financial Services Agency[1] (FSA), revealed plans to form a self-regulatory group, reportedly[2] sometime this spring.
Following the theft[3] of over $500 million worth of NEM tokens from Coincheck, an exchange which had not received formal FSA approval (but which was allowed to operate because it had applied to the agency), questions have swirled regarding how Japan's exchanges will ensure that their security[4] measures adequately protect their customers' digital assets.
The soon-to-be inaugurated organization has not disclosed its name, nor the date on which it will register with the government, nor the exact scope of its mandate. However, the member exchanges did say that other exchanges, both those which have submitted applications to the FSA but have not yet been approved and those intending to apply in the future, will be invited to join the body at some point.
Earlier in the week, 132 Coincheck customers sued[5] the exchange in connection with the heist. The lawsuit is at least the second[6] brought by customers against Coincheck.
On March 1, the research firm Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc. announced [7]that some of the stolen tokens had made their way onto a Vancouver, Canada-based exchange (it did not say which one) where the funds were "being laundered out." The company's CEO, Shone Anstey, suggested[8] that the laundered cryptocurrency might have been sent to Japan.
According to a report[9] in a publication run by the Japanese Communist Party, other stolen XEM (as NEM tokens are called) recently ended up on the Japanese virtual currency exchange Zaif.
Adam Reese is a Los Angeles-based writer interested in technology, domestic and international politics, social issues, infrastructure and the arts. Adam is a full-time staff writer for ETHNews and holds value in Ether and BTC.
ETHNews is committed to its Editorial Policy[10]
Like what you read? Follow us on Twitter @ETHNews_[11] to receive the latest cryptocurrency, exchange or other Ethereum wallets and exchanges news.
References
- ^ Financial Services Agency (www.ethnews.com)
- ^ reportedly (www.reuters.com)
- ^ theft (www.ethnews.com)
- ^ security (www.ethnews.com)
- ^ sued (www.sankei.com)
- ^ second (www.ethnews.com)
- ^ announced (blockchaingroup.io)
- ^ suggested (www.bloomberg.com)
- ^ report (www.jcp.or.jp)
- ^ Editorial Policy (www.ethnews.com)
- ^ Twitter @ETHNews_ (twitter.com)
