Press Conference by Taro Aso, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister of State for Financial Services

(Excerpt)

(Tuesday, August 1, 2017, 10:25 am to 10:29 am)

[Questions and answers:]

Q.

A possible Bitcoin split tonight could lead to potentially violent fluctuations in the market. What are your views on this matter?

A.

This possible Bitcoin split has been talked for a while. There has been talk for some time now about such a split because the current standard is deemed no longer adequate to handle the sharp increase in trading volume, so I have nothing in particular to say in this regard. Bitcoin itself is not subject to financial regulations and is not treated as money but, given that exchanges in which Bitcoin can be converted into currency are obliged to provide information, the operators of these exchanges must ensure that users are provided sufficient explanations. This is the rule under which exchanges currently operate, so it is important that we ensure proper compliance with this rule.