Nomura’s digital asset subsidiary, Laser Digital Asset Management, has introduced the Bitcoin Adoption Fund, targeting institutional investors. This Bitcoin (BTC)-based fund represents the first in a series of digital adoption investment solutions that the firm plans to launch. Nomura, a Japanese financial giant with assets exceeding $500 billion, provides brokerage services to leading institutional investors. The fund will offer investors direct exposure to Bitcoin.
The Laser Digital Bitcoin Adoption Fund provides long-only exposure to Bitcoin and has selected Komainu as its regulated custody partner. It is part of the Laser Digital Funds Segregated Portfolio Company, which is registered as a mutual fund under the Cayman Islands Regulatory Authority.
Sebastien Guglietta, Head of Laser Digital Asset Management, stated that Bitcoin plays a crucial role in enabling long-lasting transformative change, and long-term exposure to Bitcoin offers investors a means to capture this macro trend.
Nomura’s Laser Digital Unveils Bitcoin Adoption Fund for Institutional Investors
While this might be the first Bitcoin adoption fund launched by Nomura and its digital asset subsidiary, the Japanese investment banking giant has been investing in the digital asset ecosystem for some time. In September 2022, the firm established its digital asset venture capital arm to remain at the forefront of digital innovation. In August of the same year, Nomura’s crypto arm, Laser Digital, obtained a license from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) to operate in the country.
The launch of the long-only Bitcoin Adoption Fund in Japan coincides with an increasing focus on Bitcoin-based investment products by regulated and mainstream financial institutions. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has approved two Bitcoin-based futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs), although decisions on spot Bitcoin ETFs have been delayed. In addition to the U.S., Canada and Europe have also approved several Bitcoin-focused investment products in recent years.