Japan wants to amend foreign exchange laws to include cryptocurrency exchanges

The Japanese government is planning to introduce a bill that would revise its foreign exchange laws to include digital assets exchanges, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said in a press conference. Fumio Kishida, the Japan's newly elected prime minister, also supported the proposed revision in an effort to prevent sanctioned countries from taking evasive actions using cryptocurrencies. The proposed amendment would require crypto exchanges to verify and flag transactions associated with sanctioned Russian individuals or groups amid the country's invasion of Ukraine. Earlier in March, Japan's financial regulator had asked those exchanges to refrain from allowing transactions for sanctioned targets, Cointelegraph noted. Crypto-related exchanges/platforms: Voyager Digital (OTCQX:VYGVF), Coinbase Global (COIN), Net Savings Link (OTCPK:NSAV), Robinhood Markets (HOOD), CME Group (CME), Plus500 (OTC:PLSQF) and BIGG Digital Assets. Looking at digital tokens' intraday price action, bitcoin (BTC-USD +4.0%) is flirting with $48K, while ethereum (ETH-USD +5.5%) jumps past $3.4K. Earlier, bitcoin erased YTD losses.