Is Japan considering Bitcoin reserves? Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba officially responds

Is Japan considering Bitcoin reserves?

Recently, the Japanese government officially responded to Senator Satoshi Hamada's inquiry about including Bitcoin in the country's foreign exchange reserves. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated in an official document that the government is currently not considering including cryptocurrency assets (including Bitcoin) in the foreign exchange reserve system, and emphasized that current policies focus on security and liquidity.

According to Coinpost's report, 「NHK Party Senator Satoshi Hamada submitted a letter of inquiry to the government on the 11th of this month, suggesting that Japan should follow the example of countries such as the United States and convert some of its foreign exchange reserves into cryptocurrency assets such as Bitcoin to cope with the uncertainty of the global financial system.

However, in its official response on December 20th, the government pointed out that it has not yet grasped the specific policy developments of the United States and other countries in this field, and emphasized that international discussions on Bitcoin as a reserve asset are still in the preliminary stage, making it "difficult to express clear opinions on the specific situation".

Government Position: Prioritize Safety and Stability

The Japanese government explained that according to the legal framework for special accounting operations, the main purpose of foreign exchange reserves is to maintain the stability of foreign currency assets and foreign currency bond markets, while cryptocurrency assets (including Bitcoin) do not belong to the category of foreign exchange. In addition, the government reiterates that the core goal of foreign exchange reserves is to ensure security and high liquidity, which fundamentally contradicts the high volatility of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Therefore, including Bitcoin in the national reserve system is not in line with current policy objectives.