corporate venture capital
Digital Securities has successfully completed the third closing of its Series A funding round, raising a total of 300 million yen. This latest injection of capital brings the Tokyo-based FinTech firm’s total cumulative fundraising to 1.5 billion yen since its establishment. The round was backed by a strategic
economics
Japan is facing a severe labor shortage, at least if you believe the headlines. The same headlines that were proclaiming the "2024 Trucker Crisis" due to annual overtime being capped at 960 hours (!), and even before that, announced the "2025 Digital Cliff". Alas, armageddon is not
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
asset management
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) conducts the Fund Monitoring Survey in light of requests from the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and others for national authorities to collect data on funds of a certain scale from the perspective of financial stability, as well as for the Agency's
tokenized deposits
DeCurret DCP has entered into a strategic partnership with Kyushu Financial Group and its banking subsidiaries—The Higo Bank and The Kagoshima Bank—to explore the implementation of tokenized deposits using the "DCJPY" digital currency network. This collaboration marks the first initiative of its kind by a regional
cryptocurrency exchange
The calendar year 2025 represented a definitive inflection point in the corporate history of Coincheck Group N.V. (Nasdaq: CNCK). Transitioning from a privately held subsidiary of the Japanese financial conglomerate Monex Group to a standalone entity listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, Coincheck navigated a year defined by extreme
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
payments
The landscape of business-to-business (B2B) transactions in Japan is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the rapid growth of Business Invoice Payment Services (BIPS). These services provide a vital bridge between traditional invoicing and modern cashless payments, enhancing operational flexibility for Japanese enterprises. This rapid adoption has outpaced direct legislative
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
impact
A fundamental re-evaluation of corporate value is underway, compelling leaders to measure what was once considered immeasurable. At the forefront of this shift is impact accounting, a discipline defined by the International Foundation for Valuing Impacts (IFVI) and the Value Balancing Alliance (VBA) as the practice of measuring an organization&
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.