Nomura-backed Laser Digital Japan approved as Japan's first new crypto exchange in four years, signaling regulatory thaw ahead of institutional products.
DeFi & Yields ·
Laser Digital Japan, backed by Nomura Securities, has received approval as a crypto asset exchange service provider, marking the first new registration of its kind in Japan in four years. The firm will begin by offering liquidity services to domestic virtual asset service providers before expanding to digital asset trading for institutional clients.
The approval follows Japan's reclassification of crypto assets as financial instruments, a regulatory step that establishes the framework for institutional crypto products including potential exchange-traded funds. This regulatory shift signals potential openness to expanding the crypto market infrastructure within the country's existing financial oversight structure.
The timing and scope of Laser Digital's planned expansion—particularly its institutional focus—remain to be seen in execution. The phased rollout from liquidity services to full trading operations and the actual launch timeline for institutional products have not yet been detailed.