Shiba Inu (SHIB) was selected alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin by Laser Digital Japan after Japan’s Financial Services Agency registered the Nomura-backed firm on Aug. 21, 2026, as a Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider under the Payment Services Act. The approval, reportedly Japan’s first crypto exchange authorization since Binance Japan in October 2022, followed Laser Digital’s October 2025 license application and came after Japan reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial instruments in July, with related rules expected in 2027. Laser Digital will initially provide wholesale liquidity to domestic virtual asset service providers before potentially offering digital-asset trading to institutional investors, corporations and funds. SHIB’s inclusion was supported by its Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association Green List status. The development follows broader Japanese retail access through Rakuten and Mercari, while separate reports covered SHIB token burns, a UEX US listing and a sharp rally with a reported price-high discrepancy.