Laser Digital (Nomura's crypto arm) backs ZIGChain to bring onchain private credit infrastructure to the UAE.
RWA & Tokenization ·
Laser Digital, the digital assets division of Japanese financial services firm Nomura Group, has invested in ZIGChain, a UAE-based Layer1 blockchain, as part of a strategic partnership focused on private credit infrastructure in the Gulf States. The investment size reaches the high single-digit millions. ZIGChain also partners with Standard Chartered and Apex Group. The collaboration will work to develop Sharia-compliant debt offerings and establish institutional onchain vault products with risk frameworks and governance structures suited to regional markets.
The partnership addresses a structural gap in Middle Eastern finance: borrowers unable to access traditional bank lending and capital holders unaware of investment opportunities, compounded by high entry barriers and fees at conventional funds. By leveraging blockchain and tokenization, the partners intend to lower these barriers and improve market transparency. ZIGChain co-founder Abdul Rafay Gadit credited proximity in Dubai and aligned views on financial accessibility as drivers of the collaboration.
Nomura's crypto unit had tightened risk limits in February following quarterly losses, signaling a shift toward more conservative operations rather than a full retreat from digital assets. Laser Digital CEO Jez Mohideen acknowledged execution risk in onchain finance remains underestimated, positioning the ZIGChain partnership as an application of institutional risk standards to emerging asset classes.