Japan is moving to settle stock and government bond trades on a blockchain, which is good news for crypto holders betting that big finance goes digital.

• Japan's financial regulator, finance ministry, central bank, and major banks are forming a study group this summer to build a real-time settlement system.
• Stock trades now take two business days to clear and bonds one day; digital tokens on a shared ledger would make that nearly instant.
• Banks would use it first, with a formal plan possible by early 2027 and a full system in the early 2030s.
• XRP holders see the plan as a fit for what Ripple already sells, since fast cross-bank settlement is its main pitch.

Outlook: Expect more pilots from Japanese banks over the next year, with no live system for years.