According to a survey conducted by financial services company Nomura Holdings and its digital assets arm Laser Digital, 54% of Japanese institutional investors plan to buy crypto assets in the next three years.

More than 500 investment firms, family offices and public service corporations participated in the study. 25% of respondents said they had a generally positive view of cryptocurrencies, and 40% cited digital assets as a new way to obtain funding. 62% of respondents consider cryptocurrencies a good tool for diversifying an investment portfolio. Most investors who are willing to invest in cryptocurrencies are willing to allocate 2-5% of their portfolio to them.

Researchers have found that many large companies are favorable to the emergence of cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). 31% of respondents are interested in investing in Web3 projects directly or through venture funds. Analysts attribute the interest to an expected overhaul of Japanese limited partnership laws this year, which authorities are expected to allow for investments in crypto assets.

Survey participants who are not yet considering investing in cryptocurrencies cited several limiting factors: counterparty risks, high volatility of digital assets and strict regulatory requirements for the crypto market.

Recently, Laser Digital, together with Internet giant GMO Internet Group, launched a project to study stablecoins backed by the Japanese yen and the US dollar. Laser Digital Executive Chairman Steve Ashley said that as the cryptocurrency ecosystem matures, the introduction of stablecoins into the Japanese market will expand the availability of digital assets in Japan and beyond.

Let us recall that in 2022, the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) announced plans to lift the ban on foreign stablecoins. However, the regulator warned that this would require additional oversight to curb money laundering through cryptocurrencies.