SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities set to launch crypto investment trusts in Japan!

Two of Japan's largest retail brokerages — SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities — are planning to offer crypto investment trusts to their customers, marking a significant step toward mainstream institutional access to digital assets in the world's third-largest economy.

The move signals growing regulatory comfort in Japan, where the Financial Services Agency has been gradually building a framework for crypto-linked financial products. Investment trusts, a staple vehicle for Japanese retail and institutional savers, would give millions of existing brokerage customers exposure to crypto without requiring self-custody or direct exchange accounts.

With SBI and Rakuten among the most widely used brokerages in Japan, the rollout could meaningfully expand the domestic investor base for crypto assets — and add pressure on regional peers across Asia to follow suit.