{"id":77149,"date":"2026-08-22T19:10:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T19:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/japans-crypto-freeze-cracks-as-nomura-wins-coveted-new-license-bitcoin-news\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T19:10:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T19:10:36","slug":"japans-crypto-freeze-cracks-as-nomura-wins-coveted-new-license-bitcoin-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/japans-crypto-freeze-cracks-as-nomura-wins-coveted-new-license-bitcoin-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan&#8217;s Crypto Freeze Cracks as Nomura Wins Coveted New License \u2013 Bitcoin News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>(Originally posted on : Bitcoin News )<\/b><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"@container mb-[25px] rounded-sm overflow-clip py-0.5 pr-0.5 pl-2.5 bg-success-100\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-m overflow-clip rounded-[6px] !bg-success-10 p-3 @[420px]:p-m\">\n<h2 class=\"m-0 flex items-center gap-s text-[19px] !text-[#1c1c1c] md:text-[20px]\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"10\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 10\" fill=\"none\" class=\"shrink-0 text-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M1 1.5h14\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M1 8.5h10\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><span>Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul class=\"m-0 flex list-none flex-col gap-m pl-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 flex items-start gap-s !text-[#434248]\"><span class=\"mt-2 size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><span class=\"text-body\">Laser Digital won Japan license No. 00032, ending a roughly 4-year registration drought.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 flex items-start gap-s !text-[#434248]\"><span class=\"mt-2 size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><span class=\"text-body\">Nomura\u2019s unit starts with 6 crypto assets as Japan\u2019s institutional market opens.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 flex items-start gap-s !text-[#434248]\"><span class=\"mt-2 size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-success-100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><span class=\"text-body\">Laser Digital faces its next test as Japan\u2019s new crypto rules arrive in fiscal 2027.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Laser Digital Japan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nomuraholdings.com\/en\/news\/nr\/ldj20260821.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said this week that it completed registration<\/a> as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider under Japan\u2019s Payment Services Act. The Kanto Local Finance Bureau lists the company as registration No. 00032, and it has joined the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association.<\/p>\n<h2>Nomura Takes the Wholesale Route<\/h2>\n<p>Nomura is not using the license to chase retail traders with another crypto app. Laser Digital is starting where institutional desks need help, supplying liquidity to Japan\u2019s licensed crypto firms so bigger orders can clear without ripping through thin order books.<\/p>\n<p>Institutional trading for professional Japanese investors comes later, although Laser Digital has not pinned down a launch date or revealed its complete product lineup.<\/p>\n<p>The license covers <a href=\"https:\/\/markets.bitcoin.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a wide variety of crypto assets<\/a> like bitcoin, ethereum, XRP, bitcoin cash, litecoin and shiba inu. All six sit on the industry association\u2019s \u201cGreen List,\u201d clearing registered operators to offer them without grinding through separate regulatory filings for every token.<\/p>\n<p>Steve Ashley, co-founder and executive chairman of Laser Digital, said the approval reflects growing demand from professional investors for regulated infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>The executive stated:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAs institutional appetite for digital assets grows across global markets, sophisticated investors are increasingly looking for access and the necessary quality of infrastructure behind it. This registration reflects our ability to meet regulatory requirements in Japan, building on the track record we have established in other markets.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Japan\u2019s 4-Year Crypto Drought Ends<\/h2>\n<p>The breakthrough carries weight because Japan has kept crypto operators on a short leash since <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bitcoin.com\/mark-karpeles-proposes-bitcoin-hard-fork-to-recover-79956-btc-stolen-from-mt-gox\/\">the bitcoin exchange Mt Gox collapsed in 2014<\/a> and Coincheck was hacked in 2018. New registrations essentially dried up after 2022, making Nomura\u2019s bank-affiliated operation a serious break from that pattern.<\/p>\n<p>Japan\u2019s guardrails remain unforgiving. Client assets must stay separated from company funds, at least 95% of customer crypto is expected to sit in offline cold storage, and annual audits verify those controls. The license does not cover crypto derivatives or let Laser Digital sponsor an exchange-traded fund.<\/p>\n<h2>Institutional Money Starts Testing the Door<\/h2>\n<p>Nomura\u2019s own numbers show professional investors are warming up. A survey of 518 Japanese investment professionals found 31% were bullish on crypto\u2019s one-year outlook, while 65% saw digital assets as a diversification play. Among respondents considering an allocation within three years, 79% planned to invest. <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bitcoin.com\/laser-digital-files-occ-application-to-form-us-national-trust-bank\/\">The firm is also making headway in the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The timing also puts Laser Digital ahead of Japan\u2019s bigger regulatory reset. Lawmakers passed legislation July 15 to pull crypto deeper into the securities framework, with major provisions expected by fiscal 2027. Policymakers are also weighing tax changes and rules that could eventually unlock domestic spot crypto investment products.<\/p>\n<p>For Nomura, license No. 00032 is the opening move, not the finish line. The real test is whether Laser Digital can turn wholesale liquidity into serious institutional volume before <a href=\"https:\/\/news.bitcoin.com\/crypto-news\/bitget-quits-japan-forces-traders-to-exit-by-years-end\/\">Japan\u2019s next regulatory regime lands<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.bitcoin.com\/crypto-news\/japans-crypto-freeze-cracks-as-nomura-wins-coveted-new-license\/\">Source link <\/a><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(Originally posted on : Bitcoin News ) Key Takeaways Laser Digital won Japan license No. 00032, ending a roughly 4-year registration drought. Nomura\u2019s unit starts with 6 crypto assets as Japan\u2019s institutional market opens. Laser Digital faces its next test as Japan\u2019s new crypto rules arrive in fiscal 2027. Laser Digital Japan said this week [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":77150,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77149"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crowdfundjunction.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}