Episode #31 - Go Masuda, Japan Securities Token Association (JSTA)

Masuda-san is the Chairman of the Japan Securities Token Association (JSTA) and the Chief Operating Officer at Blockchain Hub. Previously, he also worked at SMBC, one of Japan's three megabanks, where he was setting up an Innovation Lab in Silicon Valley.

We talk about the recent changes in crypto assets and digital securities regulation in Japan, how we expect the market to react to those rules that came into effect only on May 1, 2020, as well as the role the JSTA has to play in adoption, and how that contrasts with the Japan Securities Token Offering Association (JSTOA), the self-regulatory organization (SRO) for the broker/dealers engaging in crypto assets business. 

Masuda-san also shares his observations on the adoption of blockchain technology among Japanese corporates, and how the current engagement differs from the early adopters.