Japan’s Financial Services Agency is preparing to allow banks to enter new cryptocurrency ventures they have never been able to pursue before. The regulator plans to introduce a proposal that would allow banking groups to buy and hold digital assets like Bitcoin as investments, marking a marked shift in how traditional financial institutions can deal in cryptocurrency. The FSA is considering regulations that would allow banking groups to register as cryptocurrency exchange operators. This change would enable them to offer trading and exchange services directly to customers, a function currently performed by ... (full story)