Japan’s top online brokerages are stepping into the digital asset space. SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities are creating their own Bitcoin and Ethereum investment trusts aimed at everyday investors.
This move could transform how millions of Japanese investors access cryptocurrency. Here’s what the plan looks like and why it matters right now.
SBI and Rakuten Are Developing Their Own Bitcoin and Ethereum Investment Trusts in Japan
A crypto investment trust is a regulated fund that holds digital currencies such as Bitcoin, allowing investors to purchase fund shares rather than buying the coins directly.
At present, most Japanese investors still need a dedicated exchange account or digital wallet to purchase crypto on their own.
As reported by Nikkei, these trusts eliminate that hassle. Investors would be able to gain exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum through the same brokerage accounts they already use for stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The experience would feel more like buying a traditional fund than trading on a crypto exchange.
SBI Securities intends to offer products created by its group company SBI Global Asset Management. That firm is aiming for approximately ¥5 trillion (nearly $32 billion) in assets within three years of launch.
SBI plans to handle the entire process internally, from designing the product to distributing it to customers.
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Rakuten Securities is pursuing a comparable approach through Rakuten Investment Management. The firm wants customers to be able to trade these products directly within its mobile apps, aligning with how retail crypto activity already takes place.
Both companies already operate licensed exchanges, so the necessary infrastructure and regulatory connections are largely established.
The push comes amid expectations of clearer regulations ahead. In a Nikkei survey of 18 firms, 11 others — including Nomura, Daiwa, and Mizuho Securities — indicated they would consider entering the space once the regulatory framework is finalized.
That level of interest signals strong appetite from traditional finance, even before the rules are fully in place.
Nomura and Daiwa have indicated plans to develop crypto trusts once the regulatory picture becomes clearer. SMBC Group has assembled a dedicated task force, while Asset Management One, part of Mizuho, has begun preliminary research.
Japan’s Financial Services Agency is spearheading this shift. It is reportedly considering regulations that would permit investment trusts and exchange-traded funds to hold crypto under the Investment Trust Act.
Spot crypto ETFs could receive approval by 2028, with analysts projecting the market could grow to around $6.4 billion.
The reform is part of a broader policy overhaul. Japan recently reclassified crypto as a financial instrument, introducing stricter market regulations.
These include mandatory annual disclosures and insider trading prohibitions, bringing digital assets more in line with regulated securities.
What This Means for Investors and the Market
The timing aligns with a global trend. Spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in the United States in early 2024, and those funds now hold tens of billions of dollars in assets. Hong Kong followed with its own Bitcoin and Ethereum products shortly after.
Japan now aims to integrate crypto into its mainstream wealth management industry.
For everyday investors, this means access to familiar safeguards around custody, disclosure, and reporting — all managed through regulated financial institutions they already rely on.
The practical advantages are significant. Millions of people who already have SBI or Rakuten accounts could add Bitcoin or Ethereum exposure without creating new accounts.
There’s no need to learn how exchanges work or worry about security risks on unfamiliar platforms.
However, there are trade-offs to consider. Owning units in a trust means investors don’t hold the Bitcoin directly.
This structure introduces management fees and counterparty risks that don’t apply when you own crypto outright.
Fees will be a critical factor to monitor. In the United States, competition among ETF issuers drove costs down rapidly and fueled widespread adoption.
How the FSA handles applications, and what fees SBI and Rakuten set, could determine how quickly Japanese investors embrace these products.
The post Japan’s Biggest Brokerages Open a New Door for Bitcoin and Ethereum Investment appeared first on BeInCrypto.
