Laser Digital gets Japan’s first crypto exchange approval in 4 years
Summary
Laser Digital, Nomura Group’s digital asset arm, received authorization from Japan’s Financial Services Agency to operate as a crypto asset exchange service provider under the Payment Services Act, becoming Japan’s first crypto exchange license issued in four years. The approval comes as Japan’s crypto market matures and institutional interest grows, increasing demand for trusted infrastructure. In July, Japan’s parliament passed reforms that will reclassify crypto assets as financial assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, shifting oversight away from the PSA and adding insider-trading rules plus stricter regulation of crypto businesses. The new framework is set to take effect within one year of the July 23 promulgation.
