Japan Steady on Rates, US & Korea Stir Crypto Market

1. Japan Holds Interest Rates Amid Global Uncertainty

The Bank of Japan is expected to keep interest rates unchanged during its second policy meeting on Thursday.

This would mark the fourth consecutive meeting without a rate change since January 2025.

Positive progress in recent Japan-U.S. tax talks has helped ease market pressure.

BoJ will release economic projections through fiscal year 2027, factoring in rising rice prices and persistent inflation.

The cautious stance mirrors the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to also hold rates steady (4.25%–4.50%) amid global trade uncertainty.

Japan Interest Rates. Source: Investing.com

2. South Korea Sentences Man to 3 Years for Laundering Chinese Scam Funds via USDT

 - A South Korean court sentenced a man to three years in prison for laundering proceeds from a Chinese investment scam using USDT stablecoins.

 - From December 2023 to March 2024, he laundered over ₩650 million (~$468,000) and earned ₩120 million (~$86,000) in commissions.

 - The accused operated from home, converting criminal funds into crypto and cashing out through OTC USDT vendors.

 - The court ruled he was an accomplice, not just a facilitator, citing his close ties to a Chinese crime syndicate and recruitment of other launderers.

3. Trump’s Digital Asset Policy Briefly Mentions “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve”

 - Trump’s newly released 166-page digital asset policy report dedicates only one page to the “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.”

 - The framework outlines that Bitcoin seized by the government will be retained as a strategic asset, not sold.

 - The report lacks any plan to acquire more Bitcoin, despite campaign promises.

Top crypto advisor Bo Hines said more details will be revealed soon, adding that “people will be very pleased” with what’s coming.

Trump Bitcoin Reserve Policy Page