Japan Clears Laser Digital in First Crypto License Approval Since 2022
- Laser Digital Japan is set to initially provide liquidity services to domestic crypto firms, with institutional trading products expected to follow as demand for digital assets grows.
- Laser Digital has become the first new entrant into Japan’s crypto sector in four years after its Japanese unit secured registration as a crypto asset exchange service provider.
- The registration comes as Japan moves toward incorporating cryptocurrencies into its financial-instruments regulatory framework, signaling a major shift in the country’s oversight of digital assets.
- Laser Digital said its initial offering will focus on liquidity for domestic virtual-asset service providers. The company also plans to expand into digital-asset trading for institutional clients, although it has not announced a launch date or provided full details of the planned services.
- The firm first announced plans to expand its crypto-related operations in Japan late last year.
- Laser Digital is backed by Nomura, Japan’s largest investment bank. Institutional interest in digital assets is also gaining momentum, with a 2026 survey by Nomura and Laser Digital showing that 79% of respondents planned to invest in crypto over the next three years.
- Jez Mohideen, co-founder and CEO of Laser Digital, said Japan’s digital-asset market is entering a more mature stage. He said rising institutional participation is creating greater demand for trusted counterparties and infrastructure built specifically for professional investors.
- Japan recently designated cryptocurrencies as financial instruments, laying the groundwork for possible crypto ETFs and a separate taxation system for digital assets. The new framework is expected to become effective in 2027.
- Steve Ashley, co-founder and executive chairman of Laser Digital, said the company’s move reflects a broader global trend, with sophisticated investors increasingly looking for reliable access to digital assets and the institutional-grade infrastructure needed to support it.
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