Key Takeaways
- • Laser Digital Japan completed regulatory registration as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider under Japan's Payment Services Act, marking the first new crypto exchange license approval in Japan in nearly four years (since 2022).
- • The milestone ends a four-year regulatory freeze on new crypto exchange registrations in Japan, signaling a shift toward institutional market development and renewed regulatory openness in the digital assets sector.
- • Laser Digital Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of Nomura Group's digital assets division, will initially provide liquidity enhancement services to domestic crypto asset service providers (VASPs), with institutional trading services to follow pending service launch details.
- • The approval reflects growing institutional demand for digital assets infrastructure globally and Nomura's established compliance track record across multiple international markets, positioning the firm as a trusted counterparty for sophisticated investors.
- • Future service offerings and launch dates remain subject to additional announcements, though the company has committed to maintaining global standards for risk management and governance frameworks.
Summary
Laser Digital Japan Co., Ltd., the Japanese entity of Nomura's digital assets subsidiary Laser Digital, announced on August 21, 2026, that it has completed registration as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider under Japan's Payment Services Act. This regulatory approval represents a significant structural shift in Japan's digital assets market, ending a four-year hiatus in new exchange license issuance—the previous approval occurring in 2022.
The registration positions Laser Digital Japan as the first new entrant to Japan's regulated crypto exchange landscape since 2022, occurring against a backdrop of institutional appetite for digital asset exposure. According to the company's official announcement, Laser Digital Japan will initially focus on enhancing liquidity across the domestic market by serving local VASPs (Virtual Asset Service Providers). The company has signaled that institutional investor trading services will be introduced in a subsequent phase, with specific launch dates and service scope to be disclosed later.
Steve Ashley, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Laser Digital, characterized the approval as validation of the company's ability to meet Japan's regulatory standards while scaling operations internationally. "As institutional appetite for digital assets grows across global markets, sophisticated investors are increasingly looking for access and the necessary quality of infrastructure behind it," Ashley stated. Dr. Jez Mohideen, Co-founder and CEO of Laser Digital, reinforced this positioning, noting that Japan's digital assets market is transitioning into a "new phase of maturity" and that institutional investors require "trusted counterparties and infrastructure designed specifically for their requirements." The company has committed to maintaining governance frameworks and risk management standards consistent with global best practices.
This approval carries implications for market structure in Japan, as it indicates regulatory readiness to license qualified institutional-grade operators in the digital assets space following years of restrictive posture. The four-year registration freeze had effectively limited competitive dynamics and infrastructure development in Japan's crypto market; Laser Digital Japan's approval suggests potential for additional institutional-focused entrants and expanded service offerings in the sector.
The registration positions Laser Digital Japan as the first new entrant to Japan's regulated crypto exchange landscape since 2022, occurring against a backdrop of institutional appetite for digital asset exposure. According to the company's official announcement, Laser Digital Japan will initially focus on enhancing liquidity across the domestic market by serving local VASPs (Virtual Asset Service Providers). The company has signaled that institutional investor trading services will be introduced in a subsequent phase, with specific launch dates and service scope to be disclosed later.
Steve Ashley, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Laser Digital, characterized the approval as validation of the company's ability to meet Japan's regulatory standards while scaling operations internationally. "As institutional appetite for digital assets grows across global markets, sophisticated investors are increasingly looking for access and the necessary quality of infrastructure behind it," Ashley stated. Dr. Jez Mohideen, Co-founder and CEO of Laser Digital, reinforced this positioning, noting that Japan's digital assets market is transitioning into a "new phase of maturity" and that institutional investors require "trusted counterparties and infrastructure designed specifically for their requirements." The company has committed to maintaining governance frameworks and risk management standards consistent with global best practices.
This approval carries implications for market structure in Japan, as it indicates regulatory readiness to license qualified institutional-grade operators in the digital assets space following years of restrictive posture. The four-year registration freeze had effectively limited competitive dynamics and infrastructure development in Japan's crypto market; Laser Digital Japan's approval suggests potential for additional institutional-focused entrants and expanded service offerings in the sector.
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