Coincheck Exchange: What It Is, Why It Matters, and What You Need to Know

When you think of Coincheck exchange, a now-defunct Japanese cryptocurrency platform that once handled over 70% of NEM trading in Asia. Also known as Coincheck Inc., it was one of the first regulated crypto exchanges in Japan and a gateway for millions of beginners into digital assets. But today, Coincheck isn’t just a trading platform—it’s a cautionary tale.

The Coincheck hack, a $530 million theft of NEM tokens in January 2018. Also known as the largest crypto exchange hack in history at the time, exposed critical flaws in how even licensed exchanges stored funds. The attackers didn’t break through firewalls—they walked in through a simple, unpatched wallet system. That mistake cost users their savings and shook confidence in Japan’s entire crypto regulatory framework. After the breach, Coincheck had to repay every affected user in full, using its own capital. That’s rare. Most exchanges don’t have the cash to cover losses like that. It forced the industry to rethink cold storage, audit practices, and how much trust you can really put in a single platform.

Today, Coincheck still exists—but it’s not the same. It’s a shell of its former self, operating under heavy restrictions from Japan’s Financial Services Agency. It no longer supports NEM. It doesn’t list new tokens easily. And while it still lets users trade Bitcoin and Ethereum, most traders moved on to Binance, Kraken, or local platforms with better security and more coins. The Japanese crypto exchange, a category defined by strict licensing, KYC rules, and government oversight. Also known as FSA-regulated platforms, it’s a model others try to copy—but few match. Japan’s rules were meant to protect users. The Coincheck hack proved they weren’t enough.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just a list of articles about Coincheck. It’s a deeper look at what went wrong, how exchanges handle theft, and why your crypto safety depends on more than just a good reputation. You’ll read about other failed platforms like CoinCasso, how institutional custody works for big players, and how scams like SHIBSC prey on people who remember the Coincheck crash and still trust names they’ve heard before. This isn’t history—it’s a warning label written in blockchain code.