Japan's Market at a Crossroads: Binance Japan's Strategy for 2026 — An Interview with Takeshi Chino

Summary

1. Binance Japan’s Position — A Challenge as the Japanese Arm of the World’s Largest Exchange

Binance Japan is a crypto asset exchange operator registered with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau, expanding Binance’s global services into the Japanese market while complying with domestic regulations. Takeshi Chino explains that the company aims to leverage Binance’s worldwide brand recognition and technological foundation to build trust and drive growth in Japan.

2. The Source of Competitiveness — In-House Technology, Regulatory Compliance, and Global Liquidity

The company’s strengths lie in its security-first philosophy supported by in-house development since its early days, its regulatory compliance backed by licenses obtained across multiple jurisdictions, and the vast liquidity connected through Binance.com. The growing presence of JPY trading pairs in global markets is a symbolic example of this advantage.

3. Key Focus Ahead — Payments Integration and the Next Phase Shaped by Regulatory Transition

The interview highlights future developments such as stablecoin initiatives, collaboration with PayPay, and new services like the “Binance Japan Card.” At the same time, the potential transition of crypto assets into the scope of Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act is presented not as a simple tailwind but as a challenge, underscoring that the Japanese market is at a major turning point.

Binance Japan What's

Binance Japan is the Japanese subsidiary of Binance, the world's largest blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider. As a registered cryptocurrency exchange operator with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau in Japan, it has primarily offered cryptocurrency spot trading and lending services since August 2023. The company is advancing its service offerings to meet Japanese market needs while maintaining global standards.

──As the Japanese subsidiary of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, how do you think you are currently leveraging this strength?

Takeshi Chino (hereafter, Chino): Our strengths are threefold.

First, Binance's status as the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange is well-recognized globally, synonymous with liquidity, technological prowess, and reliability—qualities built over time.

In Japan, while still relatively new, we aim to brand ourselves as 'the global standard and central figure in the cryptocurrency world,' which is a significant advantage.

Second, our competitive edge in technology and personnel. Many Japanese cryptocurrency exchanges rely on external vendors for system and security design, often without fully understanding the specifications they are using. This raises questions about the adequacy of their security measures.

From its inception, Binance has developed all its systems in-house, rooted in the philosophy of not entrusting critical customer assets to external parties. Additionally, Binance has obtained 21 licenses worldwide for operating cryptocurrency exchange services, the most among global exchanges, demonstrating our compliance with regulations.

Originally, Binance designed its architecture with an understanding that regulations vary by country, accumulating extensive know-how, which allows us to minimize localization costs.

This is why there is a significant difference in security, stability, and the speed of implementing new features compared to others. In Japan, the speed of adding new listings and supporting new chains is due to these structural differences.

Third, liquidity. Unlike other domestic exchanges where transactions are between residents of Japan, Binance Japan is different.

We connect to the global Binance.com, enabling transactions with 300 million users worldwide. Thus, Japanese users can trade in the same market as these 300 million users.

Interestingly, there were no Japanese yen pairs on Binance until Binance Japan obtained its license.

However, as global users have started to recognize Binance's yen pair trading, it has now ranked in the top three in overall market volume. We believe that increasing retail transactions within Japan will create a virtuous cycle going forward.