Keisuke Kimura Why is Japan’s largest investment banking group aggressively partnering with the issuer of USDC? In Episode 87, we break down the monumental digital asset strategy of Nomura Holdings. We explore their strategic alliance with Circle, how they are dominating the institutional real-world asset (RWA) market through BOOSTRY, and the global impact of Laser Digital and Komainu. If you are a global founder aiming to tap into Japanese corporate capital, understanding Nomura’s ecosystem is critical.
Watch the full 5-minute deep-dive below, or read the strategic insights to protect your APAC operations.
Why did Nomura Partner with Circle?
Nomura signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Circle to launch a USDC-based corporate payment and settlement service by 2027. This move targets Japan’s massive foreign exchange (FX) sector. By integrating USDC, multinational corporations can bypass traditional, slow correspondent banking networks, executing cross-border payments seamlessly in minutes. Nomura manages strict regulatory compliance, while Circle provides the underlying blockchain infrastructure.
How is BOOSTRY Dominating the RWA Market?
Nomura has established complete dominance in the Security Token (ST) market. They co-founded BOOSTRY, a blockchain joint venture that operates the “ibet for Fin” network. This network has become the de facto standard infrastructure for tokenizing real-world assets in Japan, driving a market that exploded to over 330 billion yen in cumulative issuance by early 2026.
What is the Role of Laser Digital and Komainu?
To support this domestic infrastructure, Nomura built a global network. Switzerland-based Laser Digital drives institutional asset management, pioneering “Hybrid Finance” (HyFi) that bridges traditional compliance with on-chain efficiency. Meanwhile, Komainu operates as a world-class, highly regulated digital asset custodian, recently expanding its capacity for institutional-grade collateral management.
About Wakyodo
The most efficient path to entering Japan is to plug into Nomura’s established ecosystem. However, partnering with an institution of Nomura’s scale requires extreme credibility. At Wakyodo, we act as the strategic link to help you navigate this complex landscape and build consensus with Japanese financial titans.
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