Press Conference By Taro Aso, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Of Finance, And Minister Of State For Financial Services

[Questions and answers:]

Q.: I have a question about Bitcoin. In the U.S. the listing of Bitcoin futures have been approved, and it has been announced that its trading will begin in Chicago on the 10th. However, Japan Exchange Group CEO Mr. Kiyota is saying that careful consideration needs to be given to listing Bitcoin futures on JPX or the Osaka Exchange. I’d like to hear your opinion.
A.: This all comes back to whether Bitcoin is money or a financial product?
Q.: It’s not money, but it’s not a financial instrument, apparently.
A.: That’s the thing. Nothing’s been decided about that yet, so if the Ministry of Finance has to deal with it, well, are we the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry? We’re the Ministry of Finance. No one can say whether it’s been decided that Bitcoin is money, so the Tokyo Stock Exchange needs to think about that first.