$BOOM
Nomura’s Laser Digital Seeks Japan License Amid Crypto Market Boom
Tokyo / Singapore / Global, October 3, 2025 – In one of its most decisive moves yet into the digital asset space in Japan, Nomura Holdings’ Swiss-born subsidiary, Laser Digital, is preparing to apply for a license with Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA). If approved, it will allow Laser Digital to offer crypto trading services for institutional clients — banks, crypto firms, and other licensed entities — in one of Asia’s most tightly regulated financial markets.
Laser Digital is already in pre-consultation talks with Japan’s FSA to obtain authorization to operate as a broker-dealer for digital assets.
The service is intended for institutional clients, not retail; think financial institutions, exchanges, crypto firms etc.
The company already has a stable of regulated operations abroad: full crypto-business license in Dubai (through Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority), and earlier regulatory approvals in Abu Dhabi.
Laser Digital also opened a Tokyo office (with a former Nomura executive to run it) as part of its push in Asia.
Why Now? The Crypto Market in Japan Is Heating Up
Several converging factors are fueling this move:
1. Growing institutional demand
According to a survey by Nomura / Laser Digital of over 500 Japanese institutional investors (family offices, public-service corporations etc.), 54% plan to allocate to crypto assets in the next three years. Many see them as a diversification tool.
2. Regulatory changes / expectations
There are anticipated reforms that could make Japan’s digital asset landscape more hospitable: proposals for more clarity around crypto funds, potential tax cuts, and pathways for more institutional entry. These are seen as tailwinds.
3. Transaction volume is surging
Data from the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association indicates that crypto transactions in Japan doubled in the first seven months of the year (2025) to ~¥33.7 trillion. That signals increasing market activity and opportunity.
