Japanese institutions plan to invest in crypto
The move follows a broader push by institutions into the Japanese crypto market.
Earlier this week, Daiwa Securities Group, one of Japan’s largest brokerages, introduced a crypto lending service that allows clients to borrow Japanese yen using Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) as collateral.
Laser Digital and Daiwa’s push into the Japanese market seems to be a response to growing demand for crypto investments in the region.
In June, Nomura and Laser Digital unveiled the results of a survey exploring institutional appetite for crypto. The survey showed 54% of investment managers — including family offices, corporations and institutional investors — expect to invest in cryptocurrencies within the next three years.
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Japan regulator proposes crypto rule overhaul
Alongside rising institutional interest, Japan’s regulatory stance on crypto has also shifted in a more favorable direction.
Japan has looked to reform its crypto laws to align the sector’s rules with those of its traditional securities market, and also plans to lower taxes on crypto. In August, the country’s regulators also quietly greenlit the country’s first stablecoin pegged to the Japanese yen.
As the country’s policies shifted, crypto adoption in the country more than doubled.
On Sept. 24, a Chainalysis report showed that among the five markets in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, Japan saw the strongest growth. The country’s value received on‑chain grew 120% year‑on‑year in the 12 months leading to June.
Chainalysis’s head of APAC policy, Chengyi Ong, previously told Cointelegraph that Japanese crypto market activity reflected global trends like the “sharp pickup in trading volume” after the US presidential election.
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