The 2020 Olympic Games will happen in Tokyo, Japan and the Japanese want to be ready for the influx of people that will come into the country for the event. Banks in Japan are now hoping to create a digital token and fully replace cash before the Olympic Games. The goal is to make the Japanese financial system more streamlined as cash transactions cost significantly more than digital transactions.

From CoinTelegraph:

“The J-Coin is intended to function in tandem with the Yen, rather than replacing it. The coin would be exchanged at a one-to-one ratio. The service for the coin would be offered freely but would be a means of tracking transactions that is far more complex in a cash-based society.

The coin will likely see release in the coming years, though the infrastructure of the system is not yet clear. It may be based on Blockchain technology, but the specifics are as yet unreleased. Recent reports from the Bank of Japan indicate that it does not consider Blockchain technology ‘mature’ enough to handle transactions.

The suggestion of a government cryptocurrency falls in line with the idea that governments around the world are seeking to start their own proprietary cryptocurrencies.”