Proposal for U.S.-Japan Collaboration on Web3 Regulation Submitted to SEC

According to Odaily, the Asia Web3 Alliance Japan has submitted a proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) suggesting the establishment of a collaborative regulatory framework between the United States and Japan for tokenization and Web3. The proposal involves cooperation among the SEC, Japan's Financial Services Agency (JFSA), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Bank of Japan (BOJ). The initiative aims to create a unified token classification framework to clearly define 'tokenized securities,' 'utility tokens,' and 'non-securities digital assets.' It also seeks to enhance regulatory interoperability to support the compliant cross-border issuance of tokens. Additionally, the proposal includes designing a safe harbor mechanism for early-stage token projects, drawing inspiration from the U.S. model to introduce sandbox testing in Japan. Further objectives include establishing standards for cross-border token trading and custody, and initiating a U.S.-Japan Web3 regulatory roundtable to continuously share policy and research findings. The proposal suggests convening an initial meeting, forming a joint working group, and selecting 2-3 U.S.-Japan startups to pilot cross-border token issuance. The initiative aims to address challenges faced by Japanese Web3 startups, such as unclear classification, heavy compliance burdens, and limited access to global markets.