Bitcoin exchanges in the two Asian countries are saying they had experienced higher interest in the cryptocurrency over the last two weeks. One reason could be that Japan accepted a bill in April officially recognizing digital currencies, including bitcoin, as real money. Due to strict money-laundering rules, which make it hard for investors to move the cryptocurrency in and out, BTC trades at premium in both countries. While, for example, on May 25, the global average bitcoin price was $2,514, the digital currency was traded on $3,800 in South Korea with a 33.5 percent premium.
“After I first heard about the bitcoin scheme, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep. It’s like buying a dream. Everyone says we can’t rely on Japanese pensions anymore. This worries me, so I started bitcoins,”
Mutsuko Higo, a 55-year-old Japanese social insurance and labor consultant said. Higo bought around 200,000 yen ($1800) worth of bitcoin in March to supplement her retirement savings.