Japan PM Takaichi backs Web3 startups with funding and rule changes

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi renewed the government’s support for startups and Web3 during a video address at WebX 2026 in Tokyo. 

She described the conference as a meeting place for founders, investors and companies seeking practical uses for blockchain. Organizers expect about 15,000 participants, placing the event among Asia’s largest Web3 gatherings. Takaichi said public policy and industry events could help create new business partnerships.

Takaichi presented Web3 as part of Japan’s wider innovation program rather than a separate crypto plan. She praised WebX for giving startups access to investors and allowing participants to discuss future services.

“The conference provides a platform to create business collaboration,” she said, according to CoinPost. 

However, the address did not announce a new Web3 fund, a dedicated grant total or immediate regulatory changes for crypto companies.

Government plans more capital and regulatory relief

The prime minister pointed to Japan’s Comprehensive Startup Support Package, which the government prepared in May 2025. The package strengthens the Five-Year Startup Development Plan adopted in 2022. 

It calls for more capital from government-backed funds and financial institutions. It also includes regulatory changes designed to help young companies grow, hire staff and reach larger markets. Takaichi did not give a timetable for each measure.

Japan’s five-year plan aims to raise annual startup investment to about 10 trillion yen by fiscal 2027. The government also wants Japan to become a leading Asian startup center. Official documents set longer-term targets of 100 unicorns and 100,000 startups. The package covers funding, founder networks and partnerships between startups and established companies, but results will depend on investment activity and the rollout of each policy measure.

Crypto reforms move alongside startup support

Japan is also revising rules for digital assets. As crypto.news reported in June, lawmakers were advancing a bill that could apply a 20% tax rate to crypto gains and create a route for domestic crypto exchange-traded funds. The planned tax treatment would place crypto closer to stocks and bonds. The changes are not yet fully in force, and the report said the tax provisions could start in 2028.

Private programs have added another source of support. Ripple and Web3 Salon launched grants of up to $200,000 for selected Japanese teams building on the XRP Ledger. 

The program targets payments, tokenized assets and decentralized finance projects. Web3 Salon receives support from the Japan External Trade Organization. These grants operate separately from Takaichi’s package, but they show how public agencies and private companies now work with startup founders.

Web3 support continues across administrations

Takaichi’s message followed appearances by previous prime ministers at the same conference. Fumio Kishida addressed WebX by video in 2024 and linked blockchain to social and economic policy. 

Shigeru Ishiba appeared in person in 2025 and backed investment support and rule changes for Web3 and artificial intelligence. The repeated participation gives the industry access to senior officials, though speeches do not guarantee new laws or funding.

Takaichi said government measures and WebX could jointly encourage people to launch new projects. “Japan’s innovation ecosystem will develop further,” she said. The statement sets a broad policy direction, but it leaves details to ministries, regulators and financial institutions. 

Japan’s next steps will include carrying out the startup package, completing crypto legislation and measuring whether new funding reaches early-stage companies and supports products used outside conference venues. Ministries and financial regulators will handle the detailed rules and funding programs.