Japanese Exchanges日本の暗号資産取引所ガイド
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Gaia BTM

For people who want to buy BTC, ETH or ADA with yen, up to ¥100,000 at a time, at Gaia's crypto ATMs (BTMs) in Osaka and Tokyo or on the web, with the coins sent straight to their own wallet. The fee is 10%, and applicants must be 20–74.

Maximum age accepted
Up to 74
Sign up & trade on
iPhoneAndroidPC / browser
Operator
Gaia Co., Ltd.
FSA registration
近畿財務局長 第00004号

Open an account on the official site ↗ Official account-opening guide

Updated

Highlights

  • Runs crypto exchange machines (BTMs) where you can buy crypto by inserting yen notes (Gaia calls them the only ones in Japan)
  • BTC, ETH and ADA can be bought at a BTM or on the web; on the web you pay by bank transfer to your own dedicated account, 24 hours a day (except Gaia's holidays)
  • Purchases are sent straight to your own pre-registered private wallet; Gaia doesn't keep a balance for you
  • For web purchases, Gaia says coins usually reach your wallet about 2–30 minutes after your transfer is confirmed
  • BTMs in Tokyo (the Akihabara office) and Osaka (the Osaka office and Travel Hub Namba)
  • Registration, the user card and the account are free, and you can also sell crypto for yen

Key facts

Realistic timeline

  1. Start

    Apply

    You send the application and the ID check.

  2. Account ready

    No set time published

    Gaia doesn't publish how long the review and card mailing take. Receiving the card involves an ID check by the post office, and your wallet must be approved before you can buy.

    Source

  3. First crypto send

    No set time published

    How long the purchase-wallet review takes isn't published. Once approved, web purchases usually arrive 2–30 minutes after the transfer is confirmed; BTM purchases are sent after you complete the purchase.

    Source

Typical times from each exchange's official pages, not scored. Waits before a first send protect customers from fraud.

Account activation

Gaia publishes no fastest time or review time. You register on the web and submit your ID; after Gaia's review, your user card arrives by restricted-delivery mail (本人限定受取郵便, 特定事項伝達型). Set a PIN in My Page and you can use the service; before buying, you also register a private wallet and wait for it to be approved.

Source

Limits

WhatLimit
Buying crypto
  • ¥100,000 per order ¥1,000 to ¥100,000 per transaction (up to ¥110,000 including the fee). At a BTM, more than ¥110,000 in notes cancels the trade and the notes are returned; an over-limit web transfer isn't executed and is refunded. Source
  • Buys and sells together: 3 a day, 5 a week and 20 a month. Per year, ¥5 million or 30% of annual income, whichever is lower (Gaia may set ¥2 million or 20% depending on occupation, assets and income). Source
Yen deposits No published limit
Yen withdrawals No published limit
Sending crypto out No published limit

First crypto send-out

Gaia doesn't keep a crypto balance: every purchase is sent directly to the private wallet you registered and had approved. For web purchases, coins usually arrive about 2–30 minutes after the transfer is confirmed; at a BTM, they're sent once you insert the notes and confirm. No waiting period for new users is published.

Protections against fraud

  • Each purchase wallet address is reviewed by Gaia after you register it, and you can't buy until its status is 「承認済」 (approved). Reasons for a rejection aren't disclosed.
  • At a BTM you prove it's you with your user card, your PIN and an SMS code sent to your registered phone. Too many wrong PINs lock it until the next day.
  • Payments above ¥110,000 (including the fee) in one go aren't accepted: the BTM returns the notes, and an over-limit web transfer isn't executed and is refunded.
  • Service can be suspended without notice when funds are suspected of being criminal proceeds, while unauthorised card use is investigated, or when a breach of the terms is suspected.
  • Sending crypto to or receiving it from gambling operators, including online casinos, is prohibited.

Source

Transfer rules

Sending to your own (private) wallet
Allowed
What's required (Travel Rule)
Purchases can only go to your own private wallet registered in My Page and marked 「承認済」 after review. Gaia has tested wallets such as Trust Wallet, MetaMask and Exodus but doesn't recommend or guarantee them. The Travel Rule doesn't apply to private-wallet transactions.
Destinations you can't send to
Coins can't be sent to exchange deposit addresses or to anyone else's wallet. Sending to or receiving from gambling operators, including online casinos, is prohibited.

Source

Terms & conditions

  • Ages 20 to 74 (per the FAQ; the terms themselves bar applicants who are 75+ and have no investment experience)
  • Individuals living in Japan (no companies). Foreign nationals must use a residence card or special permanent resident certificate
  • A photo ID showing your current address: My Number card, driver's licence, driving history certificate, residence card or special permanent resident certificate
  • The user card comes by restricted-delivery mail (本人限定受取郵便), so you must receive it yourself; family members can't take it for you
  • Buying requires a private wallet you control yourself (exchange addresses can't be registered)
  • You need a mobile number that receives SMS and an email address. One user card per person
  • The fee is 10% of the yen amount (tax incl.) on every buy and sell; registration, the card and the account are free

Restrictions

  • Up to ¥100,000 per transaction (¥110,000 with the fee), from ¥1,000. Buys and sells together: 3 a day, 5 a week, 20 a month, and ¥5 million a year (or 30% of income if lower); Gaia may cap it at ¥2 million a year depending on occupation, assets and income
  • BTMs open on weekdays only (Tokyo office 11:00–17:00, the two Osaka sites 10:00–17:00). The Tokyo Tower BTM has been out of service since May 2026
  • BTMs take notes only (no coins), and purchases can't be refunded
  • Purchased coins can only go to your own pre-registered, approved wallet; not to an exchange wallet or anyone else's
  • The web exchange service can't be used from abroad
  • Foreign PEPs and people linked to organised crime can't use the service
  • Around the planned BTC hard fork (mainnet expected about 31 Oct 2026), BTC exchange may be paused

How to open an account

Source: official guide

  1. 1

    Check the conditions and set up a private wallet

    You need to be 20–74 and living in Japan when you apply, with a photo ID, a mobile phone that receives SMS and a private wallet you control yourself.

    1. Gaia's service is for Japan residents aged 20–74. People living abroad can only sell at a BTM without registering.
    2. Set up a private (self-custody) wallet to receive coins. Gaia lists wallets it has tested, such as Trust Wallet, MetaMask and Exodus, without recommending them.
    3. Exchange deposit addresses can't be registered for purchases.
    4. Have a photo ID ready and check that it shows your current address.

    Tip Keep your wallet's private key or recovery phrase safe yourself; if it's lost, so are the coins.

    Source: official guide

  2. 2

    Register on the web

    From 「利用者登録をする」 on the official site, enter your email, phone number and a password, then verify your email. You can register on a smartphone or a PC.

    1. Open 「利用者登録をする」 on the official site (gaia-btm-service.com).
    2. Enter your email and mobile number; the number also receives the SMS codes you need at a BTM.
    3. Choose a password of 8–32 characters that includes upper case, lower case, digits and symbols, and type it again to confirm.
    4. Press 「メール認証へ」 and verify via the email. If the link expires and you can't sign up again, call the toll-free line (0800-808-0480, 10:00–17:00).
    5. Gaia's video 「ユーザー新規登録手順」 also walks through the sign-up.

    Tip You can also log in with a passkey (fingerprint or face) instead of a password; keep the recovery code it gives you safe.

    Source: official guide

  3. 3

    Enter your details and submit your ID

    Register your address, name, occupation and so on, and submit images of your photo ID. Gaia then reviews your application.

    1. Enter your address, name, occupation and other details exactly as on your ID.
    2. Accepted: My Number card, driver's licence (front and back), driving history certificate issued from 1 Apr 2012 (front and back), residence card (front and back, 3+ months left) or special permanent resident certificate.
    3. Foreign nationals register under the real name on the document, not an alias.
    4. If your ID shows an old address, submit another photo ID with your current address, or an updated one; no other documents are accepted.
    5. Gaia's video 「本人確認手順」 shows the ID steps.

    Tip See "Application questions explained" below for what each question means.

    Source: official guide

  4. 4

    Receive your user card by restricted-delivery mail

    Once approved, your user card is sent to your registered address by restricted-delivery mail (本人限定受取郵便, 特定事項伝達型), and the post office checks your ID when you receive it.

    1. The post office sends an arrival notice (本人限定受取郵便到着のお知らせ). Follow it to collect the card at the counter or have it delivered to your home.
    2. Show your ID when you receive it; family members or anyone else can't take it for you.
    3. Gaia can't set the delivery date, so contact the post office. If the card goes back after the holding period, contact Gaia's customer centre.

    Tip One card per person; for Japan residents the card doesn't expire.

    Source: official guide

  5. 5

    Set your PIN and register your purchase wallet

    In My Page, set the PIN for your user card and register the private wallet address that will receive your purchases. Once Gaia's review marks it 「承認済」 (approved), you can buy.

    1. After the card arrives, log in to My Page and set the user card's PIN; you'll enter it at the BTM every time.
    2. Choose 「暗号資産購入用ウォレット」 in the side menu and press the edit button on the card for the coin you want to receive.
    3. Read the notes and enter your private wallet's receiving address. Check yourself that it supports the network Gaia specifies for that coin.
    4. When the review-complete email arrives, check that the address status is 「承認済」. If it's rejected, Gaia doesn't give reasons.
    5. Gaia's video 「暗号資産購入用のウォレット登録手順」 shows these steps.

    Tip Too many wrong PINs lock it until the next day.

    Source: official guide

  6. 6

    Buy with cash at a BTM

    Take your user card and yen notes to a BTM, confirm it's you with the card, PIN and an SMS code, choose the coin and insert the notes. The coins are sent to your registered wallet.

    1. Check the location and hours (weekdays only: Tokyo office 11:00–17:00; Osaka office and Travel Hub Namba 10:00–17:00).
    2. Choose 「暗号資産 購入」 on screen, insert your user card, enter your PIN, then the 6-digit code texted to your registered phone.
    3. Choose the coin (BTC, ETH or ADA), insert the notes and press confirm. The amount is ¥1,000 to ¥110,000 including the fee, in notes only.
    4. What you pay is the coins' value at Gaia's rate plus the 10% fee.
    5. The coins go to your pre-registered wallet; network conditions can delay their arrival. Purchases can't be refunded.

    Tip If you get stuck, follow the on-screen guidance or call 0800-808-0480 (weekdays 10:00–17:00).

    Source: official guide

  7. 7

    Or buy on the web by bank transfer

    In My Page's web exchange, choose the coin and amount and transfer yen to the dedicated account shown; once it arrives, crypto matching the amount is sent to your registered wallet.

    1. Log in to My Page and choose to buy in the web exchange (open 24 hours except Gaia's holidays; can't be used from abroad).
    2. Choose the coin (BTC, ETH or ADA) and the amount; the rate is the one at the moment you place it.
    3. Transfer the amount including the fee to the account shown on screen: a Gaia account at GMO Aozora Net Bank assigned to you alone. You pay your bank's transfer fee.
    4. A transfer above ¥110,000 including the fee isn't executed and is refunded under Gaia's procedure.
    5. Once the transfer is confirmed, the coins usually reach your registered private wallet in about 2–30 minutes. A statement is emailed to you, and the history is in My Page.

    Tip Once you complete the operation, it can't be cancelled.

    Source: official guide

Application questions explained

What each question means and how to answer it accurately. Always answer truthfully. Answers that don't match reality lead to rejection or a frozen account.

Occupation
What it means
One of the details you register. Depending on your occupation, assets and income, Gaia may set a lower yearly limit.
How to answer
Enter your current occupation honestly. Under the terms, Gaia can cancel your registration if your details turn out to be false.
Income and financial assets
What it means
The terms cap yearly use at 30% of annual income or ¥5 million, whichever is lower, and at 20% or ¥2 million depending on occupation, assets and income.
How to answer
Declare your approximate real figures honestly. Don't overstate them to raise your limit; a low or zero income is fine to declare as it is.
Whether you are a foreign PEP
What it means
Under the terms, you must report it if you are (or were) a senior public official of a foreign government or a relative of one, and foreign PEPs may be refused.
How to answer
Answer truthfully. It covers people who hold (or held) senior public office abroad and their spouses, parents, children, siblings and certain in-laws.
Status and period of residence (foreign nationals)
What it means
If you aren't a Japanese national, you report your status and period of residence. Once that period ends, your registration can be cancelled unless Gaia can confirm a renewal.
How to answer
Enter them exactly as on your residence card, and report any renewal promptly in My Page.
Purchase wallet address
What it means
Where your purchases are sent. Coins go only to an address Gaia has approved.
How to answer
Paste the address of a private wallet you control yourself, exactly. Exchange addresses and other people's addresses can't be registered.

Official explanation

Tips for a smooth signup

  • Set up your private wallet before registering, so you can register it for review as soon as the card arrives.
  • The fee is 10% per trade. If cost matters, compare regular exchanges too.
  • BTMs are open only on weekday daytimes; check the locations page before you go.
  • Applications are accepted only up to age 74. If you're 75 or older, consider exchanges with no upper age limit, such as bitFlyer, bitbank or GMO Coin.
  • BTC exchange may pause around the BTC hard fork planned for late October 2026, so check Gaia's notices.

Recent changes

  • Guide published.

Sources