Which of the top 10 coins can you buy in Japan?
The global ranking by market capitalisationPrice per coin multiplied by the number of coins in circulation. A rough measure of size, not of safety or future returns. is the usual way to ask what the “top” coins are. The table below uses a CoinGecko snapshot from 22 October 2026, with stablecoins (USDT, USDC and the like) and the tokenised home-loan product Figure Heloc removed. Ranks move every day, so treat it as a guide to who is in the club, not a fixed league table. Market caps are shown in yen, rounded.
| Rank | Coin | What it is | Market cap | In Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bitcoin (BTC) | The original crypto asset, mostly used as a store of value | ≈ ¥257.9tn | Buyable 14 firms |
| 2 | Ethereum (ETH) | Smart-contract platform behind DeFi and NFTs | ≈ ¥46.1tn | Buyable 14 firms |
| 3 | BNB | Token of the Binance ecosystem | ≈ ¥15.4tn | Buyable 7 firms |
| 4 | XRP | Payments-oriented ledger token, unusually popular in Japan | ≈ ¥13.1tn | Buyable 13 firms |
| 5 | Solana (SOL) | Fast smart-contract platform | ≈ ¥9.7tn | Buyable 12 firms |
| 6 | TRON (TRX) | Chain widely used for moving stablecoins | ≈ ¥4.9tn | Buyable 11 firms |
| 7 | Zcash (ZEC) | Privacy-focused coin with optional shielded transactions | ≈ ¥3.3tn | 0 firms |
| 8 | Hyperliquid (HYPE) | Token of a decentralised derivatives exchange | ≈ ¥2.7tn | 0 firms |
| 9 | Dogecoin (DOGE) | Meme coin that dates back to 2013 | ≈ ¥2.0tn | Buyable 11 firms |
| 10 | Monero (XMR) | Privacy-focused coin that hides transactions by design | ≈ ¥1.8tn | 0 firms |
The firm counts come from the “crypto assets handled” column of the FSA register, counted for the 14 main retail-facing firms (the register has 27 in total, including some that serve institutions only). One quirk: the FSA registers Binance’s BNB as “BNB (Build and Build)”, a leftover of Binance’s 2022 rebrand, so you have to search for that string. BITPOINT, now part of SBI VC Trade, has announced it will stop handling BNB along with five other coins on 28 October 2026, so the BNB count may fall.
Our full list of all 27 FSA-registered exchanges explains who is behind each name.
Why are some of the world’s top coins missing in Japan?
ZEC, HYPE and XMR sit in the global top 10, yet you will not find them on any Japanese registered exchange. The reason is structural. Under Japan’s self-regulation, a registered firm that wants to list a new coin first notifies the Japan Virtual and Crypto assets Exchange Association (JVCEA), which runs a pre-review and can object or attach conditions. It looks at things such as the issuer and how the coin trades.
There is also a fast lane, the green listA list of coins designated by JVCEA. For eligible member firms, listing a coin on it skips the individual pre-review. system. Media describe it as covering coins that several firms have already handled for some time, but the detailed criteria sit in bylaws we have not read, so we cannot confirm the test. What matters is that the process starts with an application from the exchange. If no firm applies, nothing happens, and a coin can be huge globally and still absent from Japan.
So the coins on Japanese menus are ones that a registered firm decided to list at its own responsibility, after review. You get fewer coins than on a global platform, and in exchange a regulator and an industry body have looked at them. For ZEC and XMR some readers will assume their privacy features are the reason. Official sources do not confirm that, so we only report the fact: no registered firm lists them. For the legal framework behind all this, see our guide to crypto regulation in Japan.
What do people in Japan actually trade?
What Japan trades differs from the global ranking. In JVCEA’s August 2026 statistics, spot volume for the month was ¥764.4 billion, and three coins took 92.2% of it: Bitcoin 60.6%, Ethereum 18.2% and XRP 13.4%. Solana was fourth with 2.3% and Dogecoin fifth with 1.0%. The JVCEA table runs to ten places, and the tail is thin.
XRP is the standout. Its share of Japanese volume is several times its share of global volume, and it regularly ranks in the top three at home. The explanations people cite are SBI Holdings’ long partnership with Ripple, SBI shareholder perks paid in XRP, and the XRP focus of SBI VC Trade and its SBI VISA crypto card. Treat these as “commonly cited” rather than proven: nobody has measured how much each factor contributes. If you are curious about the coin itself, read our XRP page.
Japan also has home-grown tokens such as JASMY (registered as JMY), Astar (ASTR), MONA and Oasys (OAS). They are small in volume but familiar to local users, and we cover them in the guide to Japanese crypto. The yen stablecoin JPYC is a separate category, not an ordinary coin listing; see our stablecoin guide.
A word on reading rankings. Ranks shift quickly, and the bottom of the top 10 is separated by small gaps in size. Rank also says nothing about whether a coin is easy to buy where you live. BNB is third globally yet listed by only 7 Japanese firms. Use the ranking as a starting point, then check the exchange you actually plan to use.
Which Japanese exchanges list which coins?
The table below shows twelve coins that matter most to Japanese users, with the number of registered firms listing each and their short names. It is built only from the FSA register as of 30 September 2026. CEX.IO is an international platform, not a Japanese registered firm, and we include a column for comparison.
| Coin | CEX.IO (intl.) | Registered firms | Which firms (short names) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | Yes | 14 | All 14: bitFlyer, bitbank, GMO, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, Rakuten, OKJ, Binance Japan, Zaif, Mercoin, CoinTrade, FINX, S.BLOX |
| ETH | Yes | 14 | All 14 (same as BTC) |
| XRP | Yes | 13 | All except Zaif |
| SOL | Yes | 12 | bitFlyer, bitbank, GMO, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, Rakuten, OKJ, Binance Japan, Mercoin, CoinTrade, FINX |
| DOGE | Yes | 11 | bitFlyer, bitbank, GMO, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, Rakuten, OKJ, Binance Japan, Mercoin, FINX |
| TRX | Yes | 11 | bitFlyer, bitbank, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, Rakuten, OKJ, Binance Japan, Zaif, FINX, S.BLOX |
| ADA | Yes | 10 | bitbank, GMO, BitTrade, SBI, Rakuten, OKJ, Binance Japan, CoinTrade, FINX, S.BLOX |
| LINK | — | 10 | bitFlyer, bitbank, GMO, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, OKJ, Binance Japan, Mercoin, FINX |
| XLM | — | 11 | bitFlyer, bitbank, GMO, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, Rakuten, OKJ, Binance Japan, Mercoin, FINX |
| SHIB | Yes | 9 | bitFlyer, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, Rakuten, OKJ, Binance Japan, Mercoin, FINX |
| SUI | — | 9 | bitbank, GMO, BitTrade, SBI, Coincheck, OKJ, Binance Japan, CoinTrade, FINX |
| BNB | Yes | 7 | bitbank, BitTrade, SBI, OKJ, Binance Japan, CoinTrade, FINX |
In the CEX.IO column, “Yes” means the coin is named as tradable on CEX.IO’s own homepage, and “—” means we could not confirm it from the official pages, not that it is missing. CEX.IO is a US- and UK-registered international platform (FinCEN money services business, FCA-registered cryptoasset business). It is not registered with Japan’s FSA, does not support yen, and lists Japan among its unsupported countries, so it is an option for visitors with foreign cards, not for Japan residents.
The second table flips the view to firms. Menu size varies a lot, and so does the number of coins you can trade on an order bookA market where buyers’ and sellers’ orders are matched with each other. Fees are usually lower than on a dealer desk, but fewer coins are offered..
| Venue | Status | Coins listed | Of the 12 above | Order-book coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEX.IO | International platform; not FSA-registered; Japan unsupported | 300+ per its site | 9 confirmed on its homepage | — |
| Binance Japan | FSA-registered (Kanto 31) | 65 | 12 | 27 yen pairs (June 2026) |
| OKJ | FSA-registered (Kanto 20) | 54 | 12 | 48 yen pairs |
| bitbank | FSA-registered (Kanto 4) | 44 | 11 (no SHIB) | All 44 |
| SBI VC Trade | FSA-registered (Kanto 11) | 37 | 12 | 8: BTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, LINK, LTC, DOT, NIDT |
| Coincheck | FSA-registered (Kanto 14) | 37 | 10 (no BNB, ADA) | 26 pairs |
| GMO Coin | FSA-registered (Kanto 6) | 24 | 9 | 17 pairs |
For expats the practical upshot is simple. If your plan is Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP or Solana, any major registered firm will do, and you can choose on fees, deposit methods and language support. If your plan depends on a specific smaller coin, check the exchange’s coin list first and look at the order-book list as well as the dealer-desk list, because the two can differ a lot. Holding accounts at two firms is common, but remember that each one adds records you will need at tax time.
Which coins popular abroad are not listed in Japan?
Some names you hear about overseas simply are not on Japanese registered menus. The list below is what we found missing from the FSA register. Each entry only means that no registered firm lists that ticker; it is not a judgment of the project.
- PI (Pi Network)
- On no registered firm’s list. See our Pi Network page.
- HYPE (Hyperliquid)
- On no registered firm’s list. Ranked 8th by market cap.
- ZEC (Zcash)
- On no registered firm’s list. Ranked 7th by market cap.
- XMR (Monero)
- On no registered firm’s list. Ranked 10th by market cap.
- WLD (Worldcoin)
- Not found when checked by ticker.
- LUNA
- Not found when checked by ticker.
Note the difference between “not listed” and “banned”. A coin missing from Japanese menus is not automatically illegal to hold. What the FSA does act on is unregistered offshore platforms soliciting Japan residents, and the penalties for unregistered business were raised on 12 August 2026 from a maximum of 3 years in prison to 10.
How do you buy a listed coin? Five steps
For a coin on a registered menu, the process is the same as for Bitcoin. Here is the short version; the screen-by-screen walkthrough is in our guide to buying Bitcoin in Japan.
Pick a firm that lists your coin
Use the tables above to narrow down, then compare costs in our fee comparison.
Open an account and verify your identity
Residents with a residence card or My Number card can finish eKYC on a phone, sometimes the same day.
Deposit yen
Instant bank deposit, convenience store, PayPay or points depending on the firm. Our payment methods guide compares them.
Choose dealer desk or order book
Dealer desk is simpler; order book is cheaper once you are comfortable with limit orders.
Keep your records
More coins means more taxable swaps. Download your history every year.
Do dealer desks and order books list the same coins?
Often they do not. A firm’s headline coin count usually refers to its dealer deskA format where the exchange itself is your counterparty. Very simple, but the gap between its buy and sell prices (the spread) is the real cost. (販売所, hanbaijo). SBI VC Trade lists 37 coins on the register, but its order book covers eight. Coincheck offers about 37 on its dealer desk and 26 pairs on its order book. So “the firm lists coin X” does not guarantee you can buy it cheaply.
On a dealer desk the cost is the spreadThe gap between the price at which you can buy and the price at which you can sell at the same moment. On dealer desks it can be several percent.. Coincheck publishes a range of 0.1% to 5.0%, wider in volatile markets. For a small test purchase of Solana or Dogecoin that is convenient. For a larger amount, pick a firm where your coin trades on the order book. bitbank, for example, runs all of its 44 coins on its order book. Our exchange reviews go through each firm.
If you are opening more than one account, a simple split works well: one firm for cheap Bitcoin and Ethereum on an order book, another for breadth. Each extra account adds paperwork, though, so do not open one you do not need.
What are the tax rules and risks when you add coins?
Tax first. In Japan, swapping one coin for another is a taxable sale at the yen value of that moment, even if you never touch yen. Gains are currently miscellaneous income (雑所得, zatsu-shotoku), added to your other income, and the combined income and resident tax can reach 55%. The more you rotate between coins, the more calculations you owe. Start with our crypto tax guide.
A reform is coming but is not here yet. A 2026 law creates a flat 20.315% rate for designated crypto assets, starting on 1 January of the year after the new financial-instruments rules take effect. We estimate 2028 at the earliest. See the tax reform explainer.
Delistings are a real risk with smaller coins. BITPOINT has announced it will stop handling JMY (JASMY) and five other coins on 28 October 2026, and bitbank announced on 9 October 2026 that it will delist ENJ. After a delisting you normally have to sell or withdraw by a deadline.
Finally, scams. A common pattern is a social-media or chat group urging you to “buy coin X before it lists in Japan”, with payment to a personal bank account. A registered firm will never ask you to pay an individual. Our guide to crypto scams in Japan explains how to spot them.
What about coins no Japanese exchange lists?
Before looking for a workaround, ask whether you really need that coin. Our guide to offshore exchanges and Japan explains who has left, who has been warned and where residents stand. This site does not recommend unregistered platforms or any way to bypass identity checks or geo-blocks.
Where can I read about each coin?
The main coins have their own pages with more detail on what they do and how to buy them in Japan.
How to buy XRP in Japan
Why XRP is so popular here and who lists it
Read more →
How to buy Ethereum in Japan
Exchanges, staking and gas fees explained
Read more →
How to buy Solana in Japan
Domestic exchanges and staking
Read more →
How to buy Dogecoin in Japan
The Shiba meme coin on registered exchanges
Read more →
How to buy Shiba Inu in Japan
Where SHIB is listed and what to watch
Read more →
How to buy Cardano in Japan
Listings and staking in Japan
Read more →
Can you buy Pi Coin in Japan?
Where Pi trades and why Japan residents are excluded
Read more →Crypto available in Japan: FAQ
Which crypto can I buy in Japan?
Bitcoin and Ethereum are listed by all 14 of the main registered exchanges we counted, and XRP by 13. Solana, Dogecoin and TRON are on 11 or 12, BNB on 7. The widest menus are Binance Japan (65 coins) and OKJ (54). Check the exchange’s own coin list before you deposit, because each firm picks its own.
What is the most popular cryptocurrency in Japan?
Bitcoin, by a wide margin. In JVCEA’s August 2026 statistics it made up 60.6% of spot trading volume, ahead of Ethereum at 18.2% and XRP at 13.4%. XRP’s third place is unusual by global standards, and the long SBI–Ripple relationship is the reason most often cited.
Why can’t I buy Zcash, Hyperliquid or Monero in Japan?
Because no FSA-registered exchange lists them. A Japanese exchange has to notify the industry association (JVCEA) and clear its pre-review before listing a new coin, and nobody has applied for these three. We could not confirm the reason from official sources, so we do not guess.
Is it legal for a Japan resident to hold a coin that no Japanese exchange lists?
Owning a coin is not in itself the issue. The issue is where you buy it: unregistered offshore platforms that serve Japan residents have been warned by the FSA, and penalties for unregistered business rose to up to 10 years in prison from 12 August 2026. This site does not recommend using them or getting around identity checks or geo-blocks.
Do I pay tax when I swap one coin for another in Japan?
Yes. A coin-to-coin swap counts as a sale at the yen value of the moment, so any gain is taxed as miscellaneous income at up to 55% including resident tax. A flat 20.315% rate was legislated in 2026 for designated crypto assets, but it will not start before 2028 at the earliest.
Does a high market-cap rank mean a coin is safe?
No. Market cap is price multiplied by circulating supply, so it measures size, not safety or future returns. Ranks also shuffle often. This page uses a CoinGecko snapshot from 22 October 2026.
Sources
Keep reading
Japanese cryptocurrencies
JASMY, Astar, Oasys, Monacoin and more
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JPYC and yen stablecoins
How JPYC, JPYSC and USDC work in Japan
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Exchange and app reviews
Japanese services tested against one checklist
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FSA-registered exchanges list
Every licensed operator with registration number and what it offers
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How to buy Bitcoin in Japan
Account opening to first purchase, step by step
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