Japan's House of Representatives passed a bill on June 11 reclassifying crypto assets as financial instruments under the same law governing stocks and bonds, introducing insider trading bans, mandatory disclosures, and a pathway for crypto ETFs. The legislation also cuts the capital gains tax on crypto from as high as 55% to a flat 20% rate. The bill now heads to the upper house for expected passage, with implementation targeted for 2027.

Japan's lower house passed a bill today reclassifying crypto assets as financial instruments under the FIEA, slashing capital gains tax from 55% to a flat 20% and creating a formal ETF pathway for digital assets. The bill heads to the upper house where passage is expected, with full implementation set for 2028. The reform could unlock significant suppressed retail and institutional capital in the world's third-largest economy while increasing pressure on US lawmakers advancing the CLARITY Act.

DBS is launching Physical Gold Tokens through its digibank app in H2 2026, making it the first platform in Singapore to let retail customers buy, hold, trade, and redeem tokenized physical gold in one place. Each token is backed by one gram of gold vaulted by DBS in Singapore, with a potential institutional listing on the DBS Digital Exchange also in the works. The move puts Singapore's largest bank in direct competition with OCBC's GOLDX fund while targeting a retail audience that its rival has

The BLS confirmed May 2026 CPI at 4.2% year-over-year, the highest since April 2023, driven by a 3.9% monthly spike in energy prices tied to ongoing Strait of Hormuz disruptions from the US-Iran conflict. With core CPI holding at 2.9% and Goldman Sachs pulling all 2026 rate cut forecasts, the higher-for-longer rate regime is reshaping valuations across AI infrastructure, venture funding, and crypto markets simultaneously.