Laser Digital Receives First Japanese Crypto License in Four Years

The Financial Services Agency has granted Laser Digital, a digital asset subsidiary of Nomura Holdings, authorization to operate as a crypto asset exchange service provider under the Payment Services Act. This represents the first crypto exchange license issued by the agency in four years, following the approval of Binance Japan in October 2022.

Laser Digital plans to establish domestic liquidity before expanding its operations into institutional crypto trading. The license arrives amid a significant regulatory transition in Japan. Parliament recently passed revisions to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act to reclassify crypto assets as financial assets. These changes, promulgated on July 23, introduce insider trading rules and increased oversight to align crypto regulation with traditional finance.

Jez Mohideen, co-founder and CEO of Laser Digital, stated that the Japanese market is entering a "new phase of maturity," which has increased the demand for trusted infrastructure as institutional interest in the asset class grows.