Laser Digital, the digital asset business backed by Nomura, has become the first company in four years to gain new registration as a crypto asset exchange service provider in Japan. The company said the registration was confirmed on Aug. 21 under the framework of Japan’s Financial Services Agency.
The approval gives Laser Digital’s Japan unit the ability to operate as a licensed crypto exchange service provider in one of the sector’s more tightly supervised markets. It also arrives during a broader regulatory shift, after Japan reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial instruments in July.
First new registration since 2022
According to the company, the approval marks the first newly registered crypto exchange service provider in Japan in four years. Laser Digital had previously disclosed in October 2025 that it planned to seek the license.
The registration is significant because new approvals in Japan have been limited, reflecting the country’s cautious approach to oversight of digital asset businesses. With the Aug. 21 confirmation, Laser Digital now enters that regulated framework as a newly approved operator.
Initial business will center on liquidity services
Laser Digital said it will begin by offering liquidity services to domestic virtual asset service providers. That means its first role in the market will be focused on supporting other licensed industry participants rather than immediately launching a broad retail-facing platform.
The company has also said it intends to expand later into direct digital asset trading for institutional investors. However, it has not provided a timeline for that move or set out the full details of what the institutional offering will include.
Approval comes amid Japan’s rule changes
The timing of the registration stands out because it follows a major policy change in Japan. In July, the country reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial instruments, placing digital assets into a regulatory category closer to the one used for securities.
New rules under that framework are expected to take effect in 2027. While the full impact of those measures remains ahead, the latest approval shows that market participants are still moving to secure formal status as the regulatory structure evolves.
Company points to institutional demand
In the company’s statement, co-founder and chief executive Jez Mohideen said Japan’s digital asset market is moving into a more mature stage. He said growing institutional interest is creating demand for trusted counterparties and infrastructure designed for that segment.
Co-founder and executive chairman Steve Ashley said sophisticated investors are increasingly seeking both market access and stronger underlying infrastructure. Those comments align with Laser Digital’s stated plan to build its Japanese business around services aimed at institutional market participants rather than a mass-market expansion at the outset.
Next step is execution under the new license
For now, the confirmed next step is Laser Digital’s rollout of liquidity services for domestic virtual asset service providers under its new registration. Its broader ambition to offer direct trading to institutional investors remains a stated plan rather than a launched service.
The development also places the company among the first to expand under Japan’s latest regulatory environment, with further changes to the financial-instruments framework not expected to take effect until 2027.
Source: www.blockhead.co