Nomura's Laser Digital backs ZIGChain in Middle East private credit push

Laser Digital, the digital-asset arm of Nomura Group, has made a strategic investment in ZIG and partnered with ZIG Markets to develop institutional-grade onchain investment products, with ZIGChain targeting at least $100 million in total value locked across planned vaults. The partnership expands beyond Gulf private credit to a wider pipeline that includes private credit, PayFi, invoice financing, SME financing and stablecoin-enabled products, while leaving the size of Laser Digital's investment undisclosed. Under the agreement, Laser Digital will support product structuring, risk framework design and governance for ZIG Markets vault products, applying institutional standards to emerging-market private credit and related financing opportunities. ZIG Markets acts as the product and access layer within the broader ZIGChain ecosystem, sourcing regional opportunities that the partners say are intended to address a shortage of credible institutional origination from emerging markets in tokenized real-world assets. ZIGChain said the first product under the partnership is expected in the coming months. Abdul Rafay Gadit, co-founder and chief commercial officer of ZIGChain, said the tie-up brings "institutional governance, product expertise, and global best practices" to its offering, while Dr. Jez Mohideen, co-founder and chief executive of Laser Digital, said the firms aim to make asset-management products accessible to investors deploying serious institutional capital. The deal follows ZIGChain partnerships with Beehive, Taurus and ADI Foundation, alongside a broader pipeline of real-world asset products across MENAP and other markets.