A Japanese corporate pension fund serving about 1,200 small and medium-sized businesses plans to allocate roughly 1% of its assets to cryptocurrency during fiscal year 2026.
According to Nikkei, the Nationwide Business Corporate Pension Fund, based in Okayama, will invest in a passive fund managed by an unnamed “major“ hedge fund that holds multiple crypto assets. The pension fund reportedly manages about 21.3 billion yen in assets (about $130 million).
Japanese crypto news site CoinPost reported that the pension fund is adding crypto as part of an effort to diversify its exposure. It reportedly allocates 80% of its assets to yen, 15% to US dollars and 5% to other currencies.
The move suggests some of Japan’s institutional investors are becoming more willing to consider crypto as an alternative asset class as digital assets gain a larger foothold in the country’s financial system.
Japan brings crypto closer to traditional finance
The planned pension allocation comes as Japanese lawmakers and financial institutions prepare for digital assets to play a larger role in the country’s traditional financial system.
On June 11, Japan’s House of Representatives passed legislation that would bring crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, subjecting them to rules more closely aligned with those governing conventional financial products.
The legislation is expected to proceed to the House of Councillors and could create a path for crypto exchange-traded funds, while also supporting calls for a shift to a 20% flat tax on digital-asset gains from the current maximum of 55%.
Related: Polymarket seeks Japan entry despite gambling law hurdles: Report
Japanese financial groups are also developing new ways for retail and institutional investors to access crypto. SBI Shinsei Bank has begun testing a deposit-linked rewards program offering vouchers redeemable for Bitcoin, Ether or XRP, ahead of a planned permanent launch this autumn.
On June 12, Metaplanet, Japan’s largest publicly listed Bitcoin holder, also agreed to acquire Siiibo Securities for 2.1 billion yen. The company said the acquisition would support the development and distribution of Bitcoin-linked yield products through a newly formed securities arm.
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Ezra Reguerra