Japanese Government and Central Bank Plan Blockchain-Based Settlement Infrastructure, Aiming for 24/7 Instant Settlement of Bonds and Stocks

August 26 — According to the Nikkei, the Financial Services Agency, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Japan, and financial institutions plan to establish a research group in the summer of 2026 to advance the development of next-generation payment and settlement infrastructure based on blockchain (distributed ledger), with a concrete implementation plan expected to be formulated by early 2027.

The initiative initially focuses on government bond and stock trading, aiming to achieve 24-hour instant settlement of funds and securities. The report notes that while multiple blockchain financial application trials have been conducted previously, this marks the first time the Japanese government and central bank have set a clear timeline for the actual deployment of such infrastructure.

[TechFlow]