Laser Digital Japan, the digital asset firm backed by Nomura Securities, has received approval as a crypto asset exchange service provider, becoming the first new company to obtain such registration in Japan in four years.

The approval marks a significant milestone for Japan's regulated digital asset industry, where licensing standards have remained among the strictest globally. Japan introduced its crypto-asset exchange registration regime in 2017 under the Payment Services Act and tightened oversight further after the 2018 Coincheck hack, in which roughly $530 million in tokens was stolen, adding requirements around asset custody and internal governance. By securing registration, Laser Digital can begin operating within the country's regulated crypto framework. The milestone also reflects Japan's continued efforts to develop a compliant and institutional-friendly digital asset market.

For Nomura, one of Japan's largest securities groups, the registration extends a digital-asset push that began when it established Laser Digital in 2022; the subsidiary's trading and asset-management businesses already operate from hubs including Switzerland and Dubai, and Japan now gives it a regulated base in its home market.

The development was reported on X (Twitter) by Wu Blockchain:

Nomura-Backed Laser Digital Japan Becomes First New Crypto Exchange in Japan in Four Years — Japan-based Nomura Securities-backed Laser Digital Japan has been approved as a crypto asset exchange service provider, becoming the first new firm to receive such registration in Japan in… pic.twitter.com/d410xINGsG

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain), August 21, 2026

Focus on Liquidity and Institutional Trading

Laser Digital Japan will initially offer liquidity services to domestic virtual asset service providers (VASPs) — a group that includes registered exchanges such as bitFlyer and bitbank — helping improve market efficiency and trading infrastructure.

The company also plans to expand into digital asset trading services for institutional investors, broadening its offerings as demand for regulated crypto investment products continues to grow.

Japan has also reclassified crypto assets as financial instruments, moving them toward the securities-law framework that governs stocks and funds, and creating a regulatory foundation that could support future products such as crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Japan Advances Its Crypto Market

The approval of Laser Digital Japan highlights the country's commitment to building a regulated and institution-focused digital asset ecosystem, and the four-year gap since the last new registration underscores the high bar Japan's financial regulators have set for new entrants.

As regulatory clarity improves, Japan could attract additional institutional participants and encourage further innovation in digital asset products. Market participants will closely watch Laser Digital's expansion and the potential introduction of new investment offerings in the years ahead.