The new Nomura digital business is titled Laser Digital.

Nomura Holdings (TYO: 8604), the Japanese investment banking behemoth, has incorporated Laser Digital Holdings AG in Switzerland for its new digital assets business, Laser Digital. Laser will focus on the three core businesses of Secondary Trading, Venture Capital and Investor Products. (Nomura)

Kentaro Okuda, Nomura Holdings, Inc., President and Group CEO, said: “Staying at the forefront of digital innovation is a key priority for Nomura. This is why, alongside our efforts to diversify our business, we announced earlier this year that Nomura would be setting up a new subsidiary focused digital assets. We look forward to sustainable growth in this new business under the leadership of Steven and Jez.”

In May, the Japanese bank said the proposed new digital business would provide its institutional clients with access to a wide range of new products and services and contribute meaningfully towards responsible innovation in the digital asset ecosystem.

Laser Digital will be run by Steven Ashley as Chairman and Jez Mohideen as CEO, according to latest announcement.

The first of Laser’s businesses would be Laser Venture Capital, which will invest in companies in the digital ecosystem, with a focus on Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Centralized Finance (CeFi), Web3 and Blockchain infrastructure.

However, Laser would announce new services and product lines as it moves ahead with the staged launch of the business.

Switzerland was chosen to locate the new digital business because it is an established destination with a robust regulatory regime for digital assets and blockchain projects, and an attractive talent pool.

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