Japanese corporate pension fund plans 1% crypto allocation: Nikkei
A Japanese corporate pension fund serving about 1,200 small and medium-sized businesses plans to put about 1% of its assets into cryptocurrency in fiscal 2026. The Nationwide Business Corporate Pension Fund in Okayama reportedly intends to invest through a passive fund run by a major hedge fund that holds multiple crypto assets. The fund manages about 21.3 billion yen, or roughly $130 million, and is using crypto to diversify its portfolio, which is mostly yen-denominated. The move reflects growing acceptance of crypto among conservative Japanese institutions as Japan moves to bring digital assets closer to traditional finance. Lawmakers have already passed legislation to place crypto under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, potentially paving the way for crypto ETFs and a lower flat tax on digital-asset gains. Other Japanese financial firms are also testing crypto-related products, including deposit-linked rewards and Bitcoin-linked yield offerings.
