Laser Digital Japan becomes first new crypto exchange in Japan in four years

Japan just registered its first new crypto exchange in four years, and it belongs to one of the country’s largest financial institutions. Laser Digital Japan, a subsidiary of Nomura Holdings’ digital assets division, completed its registration as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider with Japan’s Financial Services Agency on August 21. What Laser Digital Japan is actually planning The firm isn’t launching with a consumer-facing trading app or a flashy token listing spree. Its initial focus will be providing liquidity to domestic virtual asset service providers, essentially becoming plumbing for Japan’s existing crypto infrastructure. From there, the plan is to extend digital asset trading services to institutional clients. This institutional-first approach makes strategic sense when you look at the demand data. A 2026 survey conducted by Nomura and Laser Digital found that 65% of institutional investors in Japan view crypto assets as a diversification tool. Even more telling: approximately 79% indicated plans to invest within the next three years. Dr. Jez Mohideen, co-founder and CEO of Laser Digital, has emphasized that regulatory compliance and institutional-grade standards ar...