Japan Exchange Group’s Osaka Exchange plans to roll out Bitcoin (BTC) futures in 2028, President Akira Tagaya told Nikkei in an interview published on 11 Jun. The launch is timed to coincide with Japan’s expected approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), giving institutional holders a domestic venue to hedge price exposure.
Osaka Exchange to List Bitcoin Futures in 2028, Chairman Tells Nikkei
11 June 2026 - 10:40 CEST
By Oihyun Kim
"If Bitcoin ETFs are unlocked, we will have to introduce futures in tandem," Tagaya said. Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) aims to revise the Investment Trust Act’s enforcement order by 2028 to add crypto assets to the category of "specified assets," making them eligible for inclusion in investment trusts. Nomura Asset Management (the asset management division of one of Japan’s largest financial services groups, Nomura Holdings), SBI Global Asset Management (the asset management arm of SBI Holdings, a prominent Japanese financial conglomerate) and Asset Management One (one of Japan’s largest asset managers) are among the firms already developing crypto ETF products.
Part of global expansion
The planned debut comes as Bitcoin derivatives infrastructure continues to develop worldwide. US-based CME Group, the largest regulated venue by volume, recorded average daily crypto flows of 310,000 contracts in Q1 2026, up 62% year-on-year. On 29 May, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved prediction market operator Kalshi’s BTCPERP contract, the first regulated Bitcoin perpetual futures product in the US. Perpetual futures have no expiry date and track spot prices through funding rate payments.
CME began 24/7 trading of Bitcoin futures and options on the same day and introduced Bitcoin Volatility futures on 5 Jun. In Asia, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission unveiled a regulated framework for leveraged perpetual contracts on 11 Feb, available only to professional investors through platforms licensed by the SFC.
Domestic competition intensifies
Osaka Exchange is not alone. Dojima Exchange, whose largest shareholder is SBI Holdings, said in March 2025 it was preparing a Bitcoin futures listing application, initially targeting a fiscal 2025 debut. The current status of the application could not be confirmed.
Neither Osaka Exchange nor Dojima Exchange immediately responded to requests for comment.
