Shiba Inu Enters Japan's Elite List of Six Approved Cryptocurrencies

Japan has ended its four-year crypto licensing freeze and granted regulatory approval to Laser Digital Japan, a digital arm of one of Japan's largest investment holding companies.

The company will list six cryptocurrencies, including Shiba Inu (SHIB), Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. This is significant because it marks the first time in four years that the Japanese regulator has issued a new crypto exchange license.

Shiba Inu's inclusion on the Green List of the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association allowed Laser Digital Japan to list it through a simplified procedure. The popular meme coin had gained traction in Japan earlier this year, with e-commerce giant Rakuten opening token trading to its 44-million-user ecosystem and Mercari rolling out SHIB trading to its 24 million active users.

This new development will provide Shiba Inu with institutional backing and recognition as a regulated financial instrument. Unlike traditional retail crypto exchanges, Laser Digital Japan is designed to serve institutional capital, providing wholesale liquidity to local platforms before opening trading access to corporations and investment funds.