Bank of Japan Eyes Rate Hike to Highest Level Since 1995
The Bank of Japan is making ready to elevate its coverage fee to 0.75% at its December 18-19 assembly, marking the primary improve since January 2025 and pushing borrowing prices to their highest stage in three a long time.
According to Nikkei, Governor Kazuo Ueda and his govt workforce have signaled their intent to submit the rate-hike movement, with a majority of the nine-member Policy Board anticipated to approve the 25-basis-point improve from the present 0.5% stage.
The transfer comes as Japan’s 10-year government bond yields have climbed to 1.94%, the very best since mid-2007, whereas Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s authorities has grown more and more supportive of financial tightening.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are going through renewed strain forward of the choice.
Crypto Markets Reel as Policy Shift Threatens Leveraged Positions
Bitcoin traded round $86,000 in early December after a pointy 5% single-session drop, briefly slipping beneath $85,000 and triggering greater than $637 million in lengthy liquidations.
During that point, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index plunged to excessive concern ranges close to 20, down from a trough round 10, because the BOJ’s policy pivot tightened financial conditions and diminished tolerance for leverage that had beforehand supported rallies.
Speaking with Cryptonews, Ignacio Aguirre, CMO at Bitget, stated a stronger yen “raises the chance of unwinding yen carry trades which is a transfer that may quickly weigh on crypto valuations as leveraged positions reset throughout world markets.”
So far this month, Bitcoin noticed the most important 24-hour wipeout, with roughly $251.69 million liquidated, whereas Ethereum adopted with roughly $111.31 million in liquidations.
The selloff in Japanese authorities bonds has prolonged past home markets, pushing 10-year U.S.
Treasury yields up to about 4.08% because the coverage shift rippled via world funding markets.
Crypto-exposed shares felt the influence of Bitcoin’s slide as threat aversion picked up, with MicroStrategy shares falling sharply whereas Coinbase and Robinhood dropped by mid-single digits.
Stablecoin Growth Adds New Dynamic to Bond Market as BOJ Steps Back
Japan’s emerging stablecoin sector could reshape the nation’s sovereign debt panorama because the BOJ reduces its bond purchases after years of aggressive financial easing.
JPYC, the Tokyo-based issuer behind Japan’s first yen-pegged stablecoin, which launched in October underneath the nation’s revised Payment Services Act, has focused circulation of 10 trillion yen inside three years.
JPYC plans to make investments 80% of its proceeds in JGBs and 20% in financial institution deposits, doubtlessly filling the hole left by the central financial institution’s retreat from a market the place it at the moment holds roughly 50% of the 1,055-trillion-yen complete.
The Financial Services Agency has endorsed a pilot program involving Japan’s three largest banks to develop a shared framework for issuing yen-backed stablecoins, initially concentrating on company shoppers.
Meanwhile, the federal government is making ready its most sweeping crypto oversight overhaul in almost a decade, moving regulation from the Payment Services Act into the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act to deal with digital belongings extra like conventional funding merchandise.
Tax Reform and Institutional Entry Signal Maturing Market Structure
Japan is making ready to introduce a flat 20% levy on crypto trading gains in 2026, changing progressive charges that may attain 55% and putting digital belongings on the identical footing as shares.
The reform would cut up crypto revenue right into a separate taxation scheme, with 15% directed to the central authorities and 5% to native authorities.
Additionally, Nomura Asset Management has formed a cross-division task force to put together product methods forward of the regulatory adjustments, whereas Daiwa Asset Management is coordinating with ETF specialist Global X Japan.
Despite the near-term volatility from BOJ tightening, Aguirre expects BTC to “retest the $95,000–$100,000 vary by early 2026, whereas ETH might climb towards $3,800 as institutional flows resume and macro circumstances stabilize.“
Notably, Tokyo Stock Exchange operator Japan Exchange Group is weighing stricter backdoor listing rules for companies shifting into large crypto positions, following losses from latest hoarding waves that raised investor safety issues.
The FSA additionally plans to require crypto exchanges to hold dedicated liability reserves in opposition to buyer losses, mirroring necessities lengthy utilized in Japan’s securities trade, following high-profile hacks, together with DMM Bitcoin’s $48.2 billion theft in May 2024.
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Bitcoin hovered close to $86,000 in Asia after a pointy crypto selloff and a world bond stoop stored merchants cautious and threat urge for food weak.