Japan Cryptoasset Business Association

What Japan Cryptoasset Business Association does

Japan Cryptoasset Business Association (JCBA) is a Tokyo-based general incorporated association (一般社団法人) founded in 2016 to support the healthy development of Japan's crypto-asset, NFT, stablecoin, and Web3 business ecosystem. It is the primary industry trade body for the sector, with 151 member organizations as of July 2026 spanning registered cryptocurrency exchanges (bitbank, Coincheck, bitFlyer, SBI VC Trade), major financial institutions (Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank), telecoms (KDDI), digital platforms (Mercari, Visa Worldwide Japan), system integrators (Fujitsu), and professional services firms. JCBA operates not as a technology vendor but as a convening and standards body, organized around 15 specialized subcommittees covering mining, security, ICO/IEO, taxation, custody, staking, stablecoins, NFTs, DeFi, Web3 business rules, accounting, blockchain gaming, and wallet/AI.

JCBA's core deliverables are policy advocacy, industry guidelines, and member coordination rather than commercial products. The association has directly contributed to major regulatory milestones including the 2016 Payment Services Act amendments, the 2017 exchange registration framework, the 2022 stablecoin legislation, and the 2023 revised Payment Services Act. It also served as the organizational parent from which the FSA-recognized self-regulatory body JVCEA was spun off in 2018. Recent policy outputs include the RWA Token Utilization Guidelines (March 2025), staking best practices (May 2026), and the annual Tax Reform Request to government. JCBA maintains a media site, member newsletter, and active social channels, and participates in international events including Hong Kong FinTech Week, Blockchain Week Australia, WebX, and the European Blockchain Convention.

The association is funded entirely by membership fees across four tiers (regular, associate, special, group) and event-related revenue, with no equity investors, parent company, or disclosed financial statements. It is led by Representative Director and Chairman Noriyuki Hirosue (廣末 紀之), who concurrently serves as CEO of bitbank. JCBA has no proprietary technology product, no patents, and no disclosed AI capabilities beyond convening the Wallet & AI subcommittee for industry dialogue.

Name

Japan Cryptoasset Business Association

Legal name

一般社团法人 日本暗号資産ビジネス協会

Website

https://cryptocurrency-association.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Japan Cryptoasset Business Association (JCBA) is a Tokyo-based non-profit trade association that facilitates policy advocacy, industry guidelines, and networking for 151 member companies across Japan's crypto-asset, NFT, stablecoin, and Web3 sectors through 15 specialized subcommittees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cryptoasset Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk Management, Controls, Governance & Policy (Crypto) (FSADALAJ)

Keywords

• Cryptoasset industry association
• Digital asset policy advocacy
• Blockchain self-regulation
• Web3 industry coordination
• Cryptocurrency membership body

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The association operates with membership fees from regular members (33 companies), associate members (98 companies), special members (4 companies), and group members (16 companies), totaling 151 member organizations as of July 2026.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JCBA is a non-profit, membership-based industry association that provides a platform for knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, and industry coordination among cryptoasset, NFT, and stablecoin businesses operating in Japan. It operates 15 specialized subcommittees covering mining, security, ICO/IEO, finance, tax, custody, staking, stablecoin, NFT, use cases, DeFi, Web3 business rules, accounting, blockchain gaming, and wallet/AI, and engages with regulators including Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) and the Consumer Affairs Agency to shape cryptoasset policy and self-regulation.

Product overview

Japan Cryptoasset Business Association (JCBA) is an industry association established to facilitate a healthy and sustainable development of the cryptoasset business in Japan. JCBA does not offer a commercial product in the traditional sense; rather, it provides a platform for industry participants including cryptocurrency exchanges, financial institutions, and web3 companies to engage in knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, and networking through various committees and working groups such as the Mining, Security & Systems, ICO/IEO, Tax, Finance, Custody, Staking, Stablecoin, NFT, Use Case, DeFi, Web3 Business Rules, Accounting, Blockchain Game & Entertainment, and Wallet & AI committees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JCBA Corporate Membership Program Tiered corporate membership offering four levels — regular members (33 companies), associate members (98 companies), special members (4 companies), and group members (16 companies) — totaling 151 member organizations as of July 2026. Provides members with access to subcommittees, policy working groups, networking events, and a collective industry voice with Japanese regulators.
• JCBA Subcommittee & Working Group Program Industry subcommittees and working groups covering 15 specialized topics: Mining, Security & Systems, ICO/IEO, Finance, Tax, Custody, Staking, Stablecoin, NFT, Use Case, DeFi, Web3 Business Rules, Accounting, Blockchain Game & Entertainment, and Wallet & AI. Members participate to develop best practices, technical standards, and policy positions.
• JCBA Industry Guidelines & Policy Reports Authoritative industry guidelines and policy reports published by JCBA, including the RWA Token Utilization Guidelines (March 2025), Cryptoasset Staking Business Best Practices (May 2026), and Crypto/Web3 Security Documentation (February 2026). These documents serve as de facto standards for Japan's cryptoasset industry and are referenced by regulators and members alike.
• JCBA Tax Reform Advocacy & Government Submissions JCBA's ongoing tax reform advocacy program, including annual submission of tax-reform request documents to the Japanese government, jointly developed with JVCEA. This service represents the association's primary channel for representing member interests on cryptoasset tax policy.
• JCBA Study Sessions, Forums & Networking Events JCBA-organized and co-sponsored industry study sessions and forums, including the recurring Web3.0 Business Accounting and Audit Forum co-hosted with JICPA, JBA, and JVCEA, and joint events such as the KPMG Web3.0 Seminar. Provides members with regulatory explainers, technical knowledge exchange, and structured networking opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 151 member organizations representing the core of Japan's crypto-asset industry as of July 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Blockchain for Europe (BC4EU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026JCBA entered into a partnership with Blockchain for Europe (BC4EU) to promote blockchain technology and policy cooperation between Japan and Europe. This partnership was announced on June 25, 2026.
• KPMG / あずさ監査法人minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 December 2024JCBA co-sponsored the KPMG Web3.0 Seminar on traditional finance integration, providing a platform for member companies to engage with major accounting firm perspectives on digital assets.
• Japan Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2024JCBA co-hosted the 2nd Web3.0 Business Accounting and Audit Forum with JICPA, JBA, and JVCEA to foster mutual understanding between Web3 businesses and auditors.
• Japan Blockchain Association (JBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2024JCBA co-hosted the 2nd Web3.0 Business Accounting and Audit Forum with JBA, JICPA, and JVCEA to promote healthy industry development through accounting and audit standardization.
• Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJVCEA was established based on JCBA and formally recognized by FSA in October 2018 as a self-regulatory organization for crypto exchanges. The two associations jointly submit tax reform proposals to the government.
• Financial Services Agency (FSA) / 金融庁coreOthersJCBA works closely with Japan's Financial Services Agency on regulatory policy, providing industry input on cryptocurrency regulations, exchange operator standards, and emerging frameworks like stablecoin legislation.
• Consumer Affairs Agency / 消費者庁minorOthersJCBA coordinates with the Consumer Affairs Agency on consumer protection matters related to crypto assets and has disseminated information about prohibited deposit transactions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Japan Blockchain Association (JBA): Japan's other principal crypto/blockchain industry association, founded in 2014. JBA serves an overlapping membership of Japanese blockchain companies and co-hosts Web3 policy forums with JCBA, making it the closest comparable trade body.
• Japan Virtual and Cryptoassets Exchange Association (JVCEA/JVCEA): The FSA-recognized self-regulatory organization for crypto-asset exchanges, originally spun out of JCBA in 2018. JVCEA shares many member exchanges with JCBA and jointly files tax reform proposals, making it a co-regulator peer.
• Global Digital Finance (GDF): UK-headquartered industry body setting codes of conduct and advocacy standards for the digital asset ecosystem. Functionally similar to JCBA as an international, cross-segment crypto association.
• European Blockchain Association (EBA): European industry group engaging EU institutions on distributed ledger technology and crypto policy. Functionally comparable to JCBA as an association interfacing with government on crypto legislation.
• Blockchain for Europe (BC4EU): European blockchain policy coalition that JCBA formally partnered with in June 2026. Operates as a peer trade body on EU-side crypto regulation and cross-border cooperation.
• Chamber of Digital Commerce (Digital Chamber): US-based crypto industry trade association advocating for blockchain policy and digital asset regulation. Operates as a peer trade body with comparable mission of policy engagement and standards development.
• Blockchain Association: Leading US crypto industry association focused on policy advocacy for digital asset companies. Highly comparable in mission (policy voice, member services) and member profile (exchanges, protocols, Web3 firms).

Regional players

• Korea Blockchain Industry Association (KBI): Korea's main blockchain industry association engaging Korean regulators on virtual asset policy. Functions as a direct counterpart in the Korean crypto market with similar policy advocacy remit.
• Singapore FinTech Association (SFA): Singapore's leading fintech industry association with substantial crypto and digital asset working groups. Comparable as a regional Asia fintech/crypto trade body engaging closely with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/JCBA_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/japancryptocurrencyassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jcba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Japan Cryptoasset Business Association