Nomura-Backed Laser Digital Boosts SHIB Status in Japan

Laser Digital Japan, the Japanese entity of Nomura's digital assets subsidiary, has completed its registration and is now authorized to operate as a crypto asset exchange service provider under Japan's Payment Services Act.

This marks the first new entry into Japan's crypto asset industry since 2022, following a four-year hiatus in new approvals. The country introduced major regulatory reforms around stablecoins during this period, and institutional investors have increasingly come to view digital assets as an important diversification tool.

Laser Digital will initially focus on enhancing liquidity across the domestic market for local VASPs (Virtual Asset Service Providers). In the future, it will offer institutional investors trading opportunities for digital assets. Shiba Inu is one of the six tokens that will be handled first by Laser Digital, including BTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, and LTC.

The registration of Laser Digital has boosted SHIB's status in Japan, where it was already added to the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA)'s regulatory 'Green List' in November 2025. In April this year, Japanese crypto exchange Rakuten Wallet listed Shiba Inu, enabling users to trade SHIB against the yen and convert Rakuten Points.