Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi again denied approving or being involved in a recently launched cryptocurrency named after her, Sanae Token. U.Today reported she told a House of Representatives meeting she did not know the token existed. The issue has widened into a political controversy after links were raised to her chief press secretary Tsuyoshi Kinoshita, who acknowledged contacting operators tied to businessman Ken Matsui but said he thought the matter involved app points, not a cryptocurrency.

As Japan moves to fold cryptocurrencies into its regulated financial products framework, Shiba Inu (SHIB) may benefit in the local market. The shift includes transferring oversight from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and could ease tax burdens while strengthening investor protection and trading rules. Plans to create a legal basis for crypto exchange-traded funds are also advancing. Shiba Inu has already entered Japan’s regulated distribution channels and is traded on major platforms.