A Japanese corporate pension fund serving about 1,200 petite and medium-sized enterprises plans to allocate about 1% of its assets to cryptocurrency in fiscal year 2026.
According to to Nikkei, Okejama-based Nationwide Business Corporate Pension Fund will invest in a passive fund managed by an unnamed “major” hedge fund that holds multiple crypto assets. The pension fund reportedly manages assets worth about 21.3 billion yen (about $130 million).
Japanese cryptocurrency news site CoinPost reported that the pension fund is adding cryptocurrencies as part of an effort to diversify its exposure. It reportedly allocates 80% of its assets in yen, 15% in US dollars and 5% in other currencies.
The move suggests that some Japanese institutional investors are increasingly willing to consider cryptocurrencies as an alternative asset class as digital assets gain a greater foothold in the country’s financial system.
Japan brings cryptocurrencies closer to customary finance
The planned pension allocation comes as Japanese lawmakers and financial institutions prepare for digital assets to play a bigger role in the country’s customary financial system.
On June 11, the Japanese House of Representatives passed legislation that would bring crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, subjecting them to rules more similar to those governing conventional financial products.
The legislation is expected to go to the House of Councilors and could create a pathway for crypto-traded funds, while supporting calls for a move to a 20% flat tax on profits from digital assets from the current maximum of 55%.
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Japanese financial groups are also developing recent ways for retail and institutional investors to access cryptocurrencies. SBI Shinsei Bank has started testing a deposit-linked rewards program offering vouchers redeemable for Bitcoin, Ether or XRP, ahead of a planned enduring launch this fall.
On June 12, Metaplanet, the largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder in Japan, also agreed to acquire Siiibo Securities for 2.1 billion yen. The company said the acquisition will support the development and distribution of Bitcoin-related income products through its newly established securities division.
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