Nomura-Backed Laser Digital Wins Japan's First Crypto Approval Since 2019

Nomura-backed Laser Digital has become the first new entrant in Japan's crypto industry in four years after securing registration as a crypto asset exchange service provider. The company will initially offer liquidity services to domestic virtual-asset service providers, with plans to expand into digital-asset trading for institutional investors at a later date.

Laser Digital began its regulatory journey in Japan in October 2025, when it first announced plans to apply for a crypto license in the country. The approval marks the culmination of roughly ten months of work with Japanese regulators and arrives just as the market enters a period of structural change.

Japan reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial instruments in July, establishing the legal framework for potential crypto exchange-traded funds and separate taxation of crypto assets. A 2026 survey by Nomura and Laser Digital found that 79% of institutional investors planned to invest in crypto assets within the next three years.