Japan Registers Nomura's Laser Digital as First New Crypto Entrant in Four Years
Nomura's Laser Digital has become Japan's first newly registered crypto asset exchange service provider in about four years, according to recent reports. This development comes as the country prepares to move digital assets under a financial-instruments framework.
Laser Digital will initially provide liquidity services to domestic virtual-asset service providers before considering trading services for institutional investors. The company has not disclosed when the institutional offering will launch or the full range of services it intends to provide.
The registration gives Laser Digital a regulated route into a market where institutional demand has been rising, according to research conducted by Nomura and the digital-asset firm. A 2026 survey found that 79% of respondents planned to invest in crypto assets within the next three years, supporting Laser Digital's decision to build services designed for professional investors in Japan.