Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred forty-seventh edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. A unicorn was born through Alpaca's latest funding round. As if we knew this was coming, we are pleased to announce that Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer Hitoshi Harada will join the next Tokyo FinTech Meetup
broker/dealer
Japanese-founded and US-headquartered Alpaca, a provider of API-first stock and crypto brokerage infrastructure, has raised $150 million in a Series D funding round, propelling the company’s valuation to $1.15 billion. The round was led by Drive Capital, with participation from major institutional players including Citadel Securities, Kraken, and
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred forty-sixth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. According to Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Japan is running hot. Can you feel it? Here is what we are going to cover this week: * Venture Capital & Private Markets: Credit Saison supports Mylapay's USD 1m bridge
capital markets
Japanese-founded, U.S.-based brokerage infrastructure provider Alpaca announced its intent to acquire Zincmoney IFSC Private Limited, a move designed to secure a regulatory foothold in India’s burgeoning financial services sector. The transaction centers on Zincmoney’s operations within the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India’s tax-neutral
Weekly
Happy New Year! Welcome to the one hundred forty-fifth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Japan's Minister of Finance, Satsuki Katayama, rang the bell at the Tokyo Stock Exchange to open the new trading year today. We are pleased to announce the "Product of the Year 2025&
capital markets
The financial technology landscape within the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) has undergone a profound structural metamorphosis until the end of 2025. Historically characterized by a rigid dichotomy between legacy banking institutions and a fragmented tier of systems integrators, the market has matured into a complex ecosystem of specialized verticals. This
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred forty-fourth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. The last full work week of the year brought a couple of significant deals (Amova, SMBC), a few new industry associations (the Business Invoice Payment Services Association, or BIPSA, the Japan Digital Decentralized Finance Association, or JDFA, and
capital markets
The Sapporo Securities Exchange (SSE) has officially released the regulatory framework for its upcoming professional-investor-focused equity market, tentatively titled the Sapporo PRO Frontier Market (SPFM). In a public consultation document, the exchange outlined a flexible listing structure designed to compete with the Tokyo Pro Market by lowering barriers for high-growth
carbon credit
The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) will introduce a new clearing and settlement service designed specifically for over-the-counter (OTC) carbon credit transactions. The initiative aims to reduce the administrative burden of bilateral trading and support Japan’s Green Transformation (GX) strategy by enhancing market convenience. The service, titled the "Carbon
digital asset treasury
Metaplanet (TSE: 3350) has formally established a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program, a strategic move aimed at streamlining access for U.S. investors and bolstering liquidity in North American markets. Effective December 19, 2025, the program has appointed Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as the depositary bank.
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred forty-third edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. We have done it! Not only is the Bank of Japan the only major central bank to raise its policy rate this year, it has done so twice. Well done, Ueda-san & team, leading us further down the
insider trading
Japan’s Financial Services Agency took a decisive step toward tightening the reins on capital market misconduct today as the Financial System Council’s Market System Working Group convened to finalize its draft report. In a session characterized by broad consensus among legal experts, academics, and industry representatives, the council