Laser Digital Japan crypto exchange approval

On August 21, 2026, Laser Digital Japan, the digital-asset arm of Nomura Holdings, received registration as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider under Japan's Payment Services Act, becoming the first new crypto exchange entrant in Japan in four years. The approval, granted by the Japan — Financial Services Agency, allows Laser Digital Japan to initially provide liquidity services to domestic virtual asset service providers, with plans to expand into institutional trading. This milestone coincides with Japan's broader regulatory reforms, including the reclassification of crypto assets as financial instruments under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, a reduction in crypto tax rates to a flat 20%, and expectations of the first crypto ETFs by 2028. The approval signals a thaw in Japan's previously strict licensing environment, which had been frozen since 2022 following exchange scandals. Laser Digital's global compliance track record, including licenses in United Arab Emirates — Dubai and Switzerland and conditional approval from the US OCC, facilitated the registration. The move is supported by strong institutional interest, with surveys indicating that 79% of Japanese institutions plan to invest in crypto within three years.