[Japanese Finance Minister Designates 2026 as the 'Digital First Year,' Supporting the Promotion of Digital Assets Through Exchanges] According to CoinPost, Japan's Minister of Finance and Financial Services, Saki Katayama, stated at the Tokyo Stock Exchange's New Year opening ceremony that 2026 will be designated as the 'Digital First Year.' She emphasized the critical role of commodity and securities exchanges in promoting the adoption of digital assets and blockchain assets. She pointed out that to ensure citizens truly benefit from digital assets, the promotion should rely on exchange infrastructure. Additionally, she mentioned the trend in the United States of using ETFs to hedge against inflation, suggesting that Japan should actively pursue similar developments. She further stated that, as the minister in charge of financial affairs, she will fully support exchanges in creating an advanced digital asset trading environment.