Shiba Inu Joins Japan’s Green List, What Does It Mean?

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has officially joined Japan’s “Green List,” opening the way for global acceptance and recognition. The Shiba Inu team announced the news on X, shedding light on the benefits for SHIB investors.

SHIB gets regulatory upgrade in Japan

According to the team, SHIB is now in the same category as top players like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). The green list placement of Shiba Inu signals that the token has satisfied certain stringent standards.

The Green List is an official whitelist maintained by the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA). This is a self-regulatory body overseen by the Financial Services Agency (FSA).

JVCEA confirmed the addition of Shiba Inu to the Green List on Nov. 12, 2025. Being on the list is like getting a fast pass for Japanese exchanges. Cryptocurrencies must meet strict criteria for safety, transparency and low volatility risk before they can be added to the list. 

Right now, only about 30 tokens have made it to the list. These include Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Polygon (POL), Litecoin (LTC), Hedera (HBAR) and others.

Shiba Inu is the first meme coin on the Green List, elevating it from speculative fun to a legitimate asset in Japan.

Japan’s proposed tax cut to benefit SHIB Iinvestors

SHIB joining the Green List is about official recognition and potential tax relief for the meme token. Crypto gains in Japan are taxed as miscellaneous income. Simply put, gains from crypto trading are lumped in with things like gambling winnings.

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What this means is that crypto tax in Japan is progressive, and high earners can get rates up to 55%. This is one of the highest rates globally and has deterred many traders, pushing crypto activity to other jurisdictions with more friendly tax. 

In many other countries, crypto gains are taxed separately as capital gains. In the U.S., Senators Cynthia Lummis and Bernie Moreno pushed the Treasury to fix the crypto tax rule hurting firms.

Recognizing the challenge with higher taxes, the FSA has proposed a tax drop from 55% to 20%. The FSA is pushing to reclassify 105 qualifying cryptos, including Green List assets, as financial products.

For SHIB, lower taxes would mean more buying power for Japanese investors. This could unlock both retail and institutional inflows and boost liquidity — and eventually price.