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SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities Plan Crypto Investment Trust Products in Japan

SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities Plan Crypto Investment Trust Products in Japan

According to Nikkei, SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities plan crypto investment trusts as Japan’s FSA considers allowing digital assets in trusts and ETFs, with broader industry participation and tax reform also under discussion.

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Fact Check
The claim is strongly supported by a Nikkei Asia primary report ('Japan's SBI, Rakuten to sell crypto investment trusts developed in-house') and independently corroborated by CoinTelegraph, Crypto Briefing, and Crypto.news, all published on May 17, 2026. All sources consistently confirm that SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities are developing in-house crypto investment trust products targeting Japanese retail investors, with Nomura and other major brokerages also preparing to enter the space. The counterparty risk concern tied to indirect exposure structures is explicitly acknowledged in the Crypto Briefing article. The regulatory context (Japan FSA revising the Investment Trust Act, crypto reclassified as financial instruments) is consistent across sources. No conflicting evidence was found.
Summary

SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities plan to sell investment trusts holding Bitcoin and other crypto assets, according to Nikkei. The report said 18 major brokerages are preparing to respond as Japan’s Financial Services Agency moves toward allowing cryptocurrencies in investment trusts and ETFs. Nikkei also cited a possible tax change that would lower crypto taxation from rates of up to 55% to 20%, aligning it more closely with stock taxation. The article added that U.S. crypto ETF assets under management have exceeded $104.2 billion, underscoring the scale of regulated digital-asset investment products as Japan considers broader market access.

Terms & Concepts
  • Bitcoin: The largest cryptocurrency by market value, often used as the main reference asset for crypto investment products.
  • ETF: An exchange-traded fund is a market-listed investment product that tracks an asset or basket of assets and trades like a stock.
  • Crypto investment trust: A regulated fund structure designed to give investors exposure to cryptocurrencies without directly holding tokens or managing wallets.