Nomura’s crypto arm Laser Digital has launched a bitcoin fund allowing institutional investors to buy into crypto.
Laser Digital will use Komainu, which was established in 2018 as a joint venture between Nomura, Ledger and CoinShares, for the custody of the fund’s assets, the company said in a 19 September announcement.
Sebastien Guglietta, who previously worked as the chief scientist officer at Nomura and a portfolio manager at hedge fund Brevan Howard, is leading Laser Digital’s asset management business.
In January, Laser Digital hired Nickel Digital Asset Management’s global head of institutional business Fiona King as head of distribution.
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Guglietta said that the ability to go long on bitcoin offers a solution to investors to “capture the macro trend”.
Laser Digital, which was co-founded by Nomura’s Steven Ashley and Jez Mohideen, offers crypto asset management and trading services. The company also invests in startups in the digital asset ecosystem.
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In March, Laser Digital announced an investment in crypto startup ClearToken to boost institutional engagement in digital assets. In July, the company invested in the on-chain fund management startup Solv Protocol.
On 1 August, Laser Digital received operating licence approval from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority.
Laser Digital co-founder Mohideen, who is also based in Dubai, told Financial News in a June interview that roughly 88% of professional investors surveyed by the firm say that their clients are considering investing in digital assets.
He also backed Asia for the next wave of crypto adoption.
“Asia benefitted from what happened in the US and realised the things they need to avoid,” Mohideen told FN.
To contact the author of this story with feedback or news, email Bilal Jafar
