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Japan’s Nomura Said to Launch Crypto Unit With DeFi and NFTs on Menu: Report
The Japanese investment bank carried out its first cryptocurrency derivatives trades last week.
By Ian Allison
Updated May 11, 2023, 5:43 p.m. Published May 16, 2022, 12:00 p.m.
Japanese investment bank Nomura is launching a subsidiary to give institutions access to digital assets, according to a report in the Financial Times.
The new unit will have a staff of 100 by the end of 2023, according to the report, and will offer exposure to cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
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The bank declined CoinDesk's request for a comment.
Nomura began trading bitcoin futures and options last week on the CME with Cumberland DRW, joining rivals such as Goldman Sachs (GS) and JPMorgan (JPM) in giving their clients access to crypto markets.
Nomura was one of the first banks to explore custody of crypto assets, joining the Komainu custody joint venture alongside fund manager CoinShares and custody specialist Ledger, in June 2020.
The Nomura Research Institute, an economic consulting arm of the bank, launched a crypto-asset index tracking the Japanese cryptocurrency market in 2020.
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French Banking Giant BPCE to Roll Out Crypto Trading for 2M Retail Clients
The service will allow customers to buy and sell BTC, ETH, SOL, and USDC through a separate digital asset account managed by Hexarq.
What to know:
- French banking group BPCE will start offering crypto trading services to 2 million retail customers through its Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne apps, with plans to expand to 12 million customers by 2026.
- The service will allow customers to buy and sell BTC, ETH, SOL, and USDC through a separate digital asset account managed by Hexarq, with a €2.99 monthly fee and 1.5% transaction commission.
- The move follows similar initiatives by other European banks, such as BBVA, Santander, and Raiffeisen Bank, which have already started offering crypto trading services to their customers.
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