Japan’s biggest brokerage steps into crypto

Nomura Holdings, Japan’s heavyweight brokerage, is gearing up to throw its full weight behind crypto trading for institutional clients.

This is like a cannonball splash signaling that crypto assets are stepping out of the shadows and into Japan’s financial spotlight.

Opening more doors for crypto

Nomura’s subsidiary, Laser Digital, wants to slap on broker-dealer status and serve banks, financial firms, and licensed exchanges, pending the nod from regulators, of course.

CEO Mohideen is practically bouncing with optimism, ready to ride the wave of regulatory reforms and swelling trading volumes.

Nomura Holdings plans to expand in Japan’s digital-asset market through a subsidiary, as crypto trading in the country heats up https://t.co/vV6z8i9JTZ

— Bloomberg (@business) October 3, 2025

He’s betting on Japan’s financial playground opening more doors for crypto, and the crowd seems to agree.

The fact is, the buzz around institutional acceptance isn’t all smoke.

Just days ago, Daiwa Securities, Japan’s runner-up brokerage, rolled out a slick new loan service letting customers use Bitcoin and Ethereum as collateral for yen loans.

That’s proof crypto’s inching closer to mainstream finance, converting skeptics one block at a time.

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Institutional appetite is growing fast

Laser Digital’s crypto experiment began back in 2022, with ambitious plans to craft a full suite of crypto asset services.

They even snagged a crypto license in Dubai in 2023 before planting heavier roots back in Japan.

Despite these power moves, the startup’s been dragging some financial deadweight, contributing to losses in Nomura’s European operations lately. No empire-building comes without a few bruises.

Big securities firms like Nomura and Daiwa are playing a high-stakes game. Japan’s regulators are reviewing laws that could formally recognize crypto as a financial product.

These rule tweaks could clear the fog for institutional investors itching to dive deeper into crypto assets with real confidence.

And institutional appetite is growing fast. A 2024 survey by Nomura and Laser Digital found over half of institutional investors are ready to allocate 2–5% of their portfolios to crypto within the next three years.

Funds are eyeing ETFs, staking, and lending products as their launchpads into this brave new crypto world.

Shifting financial reality

Why the rush? Traditional fee-based revenue streams from stocks and bonds are getting squeezed, and crypto offers a fresh playground for growth and risk diversification.

Experts say it’s simply about survival and relevance in a shifting financial reality.

With Daiwa building crypto services since 2018 and Nomura scaling up its institutional trading game, established Japanese players are no longer content to sit on the sidelines.

They’re weaving crypto assets into the fabric of their operations, signaling that crypto’s creeping from fringe curiosity to mainstream juggernaut.