Disclaimer: in the hours since publication, Monex Group has issued a statement in response to media coverage of the alleged decision regarding Coincheck’s license approval. This article has been updated to include this response. Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has purportedly approved a cryptocurrency exchange operating license for hacked crypto exchange Coincheck. English-language Asia-focused news publication Nikkei Asian Review reported the news Dec. 19. According to Nikkei, an announcement from the financial watchog is reportedly due to be released by the end of the year. Notably, in private correspondence with Cointelegraph Japan, Coincheck’s PR emphasized “it is not [the exchange’s] …

Online broker Monex Group, known for buying hacked Japanese crypto exchange Coincheck in April, has announced it will launch cryptocurrency trading in the United States, Cointelegraph Japan reports Wednesday, Dec. 12. Monex held a conference in Tokyo, where John Bartleman — president of Monex’s U.S. subsidiary TradeStation Group, Inc. — took part. He announced that crypto trading will be available for U.S. customers starting Q1 2019. Moreover, Bartleman revealed that TradeStation is interested in crypto investments in general. The company has already joined the series B funding round of new U.S. crypto exchange ErisX, whose crypto services will soon launch …

Hacked Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck has begun trading a wider range of assets Nov. 26, a press release confirmed, ten months after funds worth over $530 million were stolen. Monex Group, the Internet broker which purchased the hacked exchange in March for around $33.5 million, made the announcement following months of remedial measures and security improvements. The release of Ripple (XRP) and Factom (FCT) token trading means Coincheck is now operating services for all “tradable cryptocurrencies” on the platform. “Coincheck has been steadily resuming as each service’s technical safety is confirmed through the supports of external experts,” the release stated, …

Recently re-opened Japanese crypto exchange Coincheck has announced it has resumed NEM (XEM) crypto token trading after a restructuring of its platform by external “security experts,” South Korean news outlet FNNews reports Nov. 13. In January of this year, Coincheck suffered an industry record-breaking hack when $534 million worth of NEM was stolen from its wallets. This latest development from Coincheck reveals the exchange has “joined the Japan Security Association and is “ready to renovate its image.” Alongside NEM trades, the platform has also opened support for Ethereum (ETH) and Lisk (LSK). Coincheck is quoted as saying that "technological safety …

Prominent cybersecurity firm Group-IB has graded the security of top crypto exchanges, U.S.-based tech news media the Next Web reported Tuesday, Nov. 6. According to research conducted by the Moscow-based firm in partnership with crypto asset insurance platform CryptoIns, the Kraken platform is the safest crypto exchange. In contrast, OKEx — the now-second crypto exchange by daily trade volume — as well as Huobi Pro and CoinCheck are the riskiest crypto trading spots, the report says. Per the Next Web, Group-IB made its determinations with a newly developed assessment system that calculates insurance premiums to cover cryptocurrencies held by major …

Japan is one of the key countries in the crypto financial world, where the headquarter of Bitcoin.com is situated, the crypto exchange Mt. Gox was established, the Bitcoin’s creator Satoshi Nakamoto name comes from, and cryptocurrencies in general are legalized. But, what do we really know about the growing industry of cryptocurrencies in the Land of the Rising Sun? What and where can be bought in Japan with crypto? What is the attitude of the authorities towards digital assets after adoption of the regulatory legislation? Recent changes in the structure of Japanese state apparatus, as an appointment of a prominent …

Monex Group, the Japanese internet broker that purchased hacked cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck, announced it had reopened new account signups and limited trading in a statement Tuesday, Oct. 30. The latest phase of a step-by-step reboot of Coincheck, Monex added users could also begin depositing and purchasing certain cryptocurrencies. “...Here we announce that Coincheck has resumed ‘new account openings’ and ‘customers’ depositing and purchasing some cryptocurrencies’ services today,” the statement reads. From Tuesday, users will be able to deposit four cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum Classic (ETC), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). Purchase options now extend once more to the three …

Japanese crypto exchange Coincheck saw a 66 percent decline in revenue for Q3 2018, according to fiscal results published by the exchange’s operator, Monex Group, Oct. 29. Coincheck was acquired by Monex Group Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary on Apr. 16, when Coincheck decided to rehaul its shareholder composition and management after $532 million worth of NEM was stolen from its wallets this January. Monex CEO Oki Matsumoto told CT Japan today the exchange is “still awaiting” a license from the regulator. Monex’s results reveal that between July and September (termed Q3 in the U.S., Q2 in the Japanese …

The self-regulatory Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) plans to stricten its customer asset management measures. The Japan Times outlet reported this news Sunday, September 30, citing “informed sources.” JVCEA is a self-regulatory group of some of the largest licensed exchange operators in Japan, established in April of this year. Now, the organization is reportedly planning to tighten its rules by establishing a limit on the amount of digital currencies that can be managed online by any exchange. According to The Japan Times’ sources, the limit will likely be set at around 10 to 20 percent of customer deposits. JVCEA …

Online broker Monex Group, which bought out hacked Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck this spring, plans to launch a U.S.-based trading platform, Cointelegraph Japan reported today, July 27. A summary of data from a financial briefing held Friday confirms plans to establish TradeStation Crypto Inc. as a cryptocurrency-focused subsidiary of securities brokerage firm TradeStation, which Monex acquired in 2011. As Cointelegraph Japan reports, Monex CEO Oki Matsumoto also signalled Coincheck –– which Monex purchased in April for around $33 mln –– should begin functioning fully next month. Matsumoto had originally forecast a June opening for Coincheck, but delays in securing a …

On March 8, 2016, Japan announced Bitcoin as a legal form of payment; its adoption was flourishing and only positive things could be said about the digital currency as the digitally inclined population embraced cryptocurrencies. Japan was a leader in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency innovation and adoption. From ‘Miss Bitcoin’ to the slew of businesses that the island nation received after China’s ban on cryptocurrencies, Japan was becoming a super power of digital currency and happily taken the mantle, headlong. Bitcoin businesses were booming in Japan — especially exchanges — but there came a turning point. Japan’s boom had been down …

On June 19, Bithumb, South Korea’s number one crypto exchange, was hacked. The attackers stole cryptocurrencies worth $30 million, making it one of the largest heists of the year so far. While the exchange has already promised to compensate its users, the damage has been done: yet again, it has become evident that even the biggest players cannot guarantee total safety. Indeed, the crypto world hasn’t been the same since the Mt. Gox collapse. Still, it comes down to how these attacks are handled in the aftermath: while some go MIA or start diffusing the responsibility, others choose to rebuild …