JCBA — Japan Crypto-asset Business Association

Wiki route

This entry sits under exchanges index. Read it against JVCEA — Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association self-regulatory system for peer / contrast context and FSA crypto-asset exchange registration system for the broader system / regulatory boundary.

Overview

The Japan Crypto-asset Business Association (JCBA), a general incorporated association is an industry body targeting a broad range of crypto-asset / Web3 businesses not limited to crypto-asset exchange services. **Established 2016 ** (formerly: Japan Cryptocurrency Business Association → renamed 2020 ). Members include, in addition to VASPs proper, a wide composition extending to Web3 / NFT / DeFi / staking / token issuance / consulting / audit / law firms / blockchain-infrastructure businesses. Whereas JVCEA concentrates on certified self-regulation (delegated by the FSA), JCBA is the “voice of the industry” layer responsible for policy advocacy, tax-reform requests, working-group deliberation, and industry development.

Founding background and division of roles with JVCEA

• 2014 — concept of a predecessor body amid the post-Mt.Gox-collapse industry reorganization
• 2016 — launched as the Japan Cryptocurrency Business Association
• 2018-04 — the exchange divisions of JCBA and the Japan Blockchain Association (JBA) merged, and JVCEA was launched (the FSA-certified self-regulatory association)
• From 2018 onward — JCBA continued as the body overseeing Web3 businesses in general outside VASP operations
• 2020 — renamed to “Japan Crypto-asset Business Association” (aligning with the statutory term “crypto-asset”)

A division has become established: JVCEA = certified self-regulation (FSA-regulation-delegated type, members = mainly registered VASPs) / JCBA = industry body (policy lobbying, tax-reform requests, Web3 in general). Many major VASPs are members of both bodies in parallel.

Organization / operation

• Legal form: general incorporated association
• Headquarters: Tokyo
• Chair / Vice-Chair: selected on a rotating basis from member-company representatives (disclosed on the official site as appropriate)
• Member categories: regular members (crypto-asset business operators) / supporting members (peripheral businesses and experts)
• Working groups: set up by domain, such as the Tax Study WG, NFT WG, IEO WG, Stablecoin WG, Web3 WG, and International WG

Major activities

1. Tax-reform requests — each fiscal year, proposes to the LDP web3 PT, METI Web3 Policy Office, and the FSA the review of period-end mark-to-market taxation on corporate-held crypto-assets (Corporation Tax Act Article 61 ), separate taxation for individuals, tax deferral on crypto-to-crypto exchanges, and the like. The realization in the FY2024 tax reform of the exclusion of self-issued and third-party-held tokens from period-end mark-to-market valuation was an outcome of a joint JCBA + JVCEA request.
2. Publication of policy papers — publishes the annual “Recommendations on Crypto-asset Business” as a PDF on the official site.
3. Working-group deliberation — deliberates across member companies on IEO rules, NFT secondary distribution, stablecoin-issuer regulation, Web3 overseas expansion, and the like.
4. International cooperation — concludes MoUs with overseas bodies such as the GBBC (Global Blockchain Business Council) and INATBA.

Members (disclosure basis / representative examples)

• VASP-type: bitFlyer / Coincheck / bitbank / SBI VC Trade / GMO Coin / BitTrade, etc.
• Web3-type: Astar Foundation-affiliated / Oasys-affiliated / LayerX-affiliated / gumi cryptos-affiliated (see Japan crypto-asset VC and crypto-fund landscape)
• Infrastructure / peripheral: Ginco / Fireblocks Japan / audit-firm-affiliated (see Japan crypto audit-firm landscape) / major law firms (see Japan crypto legal-services landscape)

The exact total member count and list of company names are disclosed as appropriate in the “Member Companies” section of the official page (where no point in time is specified, “not disclosed”).

Positioning as a policy layer

Within Japan financial regulation, JCBA functions as the operator-originated policy-advocacy route. In dialogue with the FSA, the Financial System Council, and the LDP web3 PT (see jp-web3-policy-public-body-layer), JVCEA (self-regulatory enforcement) and JCBA (industry-policy advocacy) divide the roles.

Related

• jvcea-self-regulatory-overview — certified self-regulatory association
• japan-blockchain-association-jba — JBA (sister body)
• jp-web3-policy-public-body-layer — METI / LDP web3 PT
• jp-vasp-regulatory-timeline — regulatory timeline
• fsa-vasp-registration-system — FSA registration system
• jp-crypto-vc-fund-landscape — VC landscape
• japan-financial-regulation — upper-layer financial regulation

Sources

• JCBA official: https://cryptocurrency-association.org/
• JCBA founding purpose / organization: https://cryptocurrency-association.org/about/
• JVCEA official (for history reference): https://jvcea.or.jp/
• Various tax-reform request documents (PDF) (updated as appropriate in the JCBA official “Policy Advocacy” section)