Credit Saison Launches Investment Fund for Real-World Asset Startups
Credit Saison introduces Onigiri Capital, a $35 million venture fund targeting early-stage blockchain firms in real-world assets, with potential expansion to $50 million and a focus on U.S.-Asia financial infrastructure integration.
Credit Saison, Japan’s third-largest credit card company, has launched Onigiri Capital, a new venture fund with $35 million raised and capacity to grow to $50 million. The fund will support early-stage blockchain startups working in real-world assets, particularly in stablecoins, tokenization, payment rails, and DeFi. It aims to connect U.S. founders with Asia’s digital asset markets, leveraging Credit Saison’s financial networks across multiple Asian countries. Managed by Qin En Looi and Hans de Back, the fund emphasizes global financial standards and institutional-grade infrastructure. The launch occurs amid a decline in crypto venture funding, which dropped from $86 billion in 2022 to $3.7 billion raised across 28 funds in 2025.
- Real-World Assets (RWA): Physical or tangible assets, such as real estate or commodities, that are tokenized or digitized for use in blockchain-based financial systems.
- Stablecoins: Cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets like the U.S. dollar, designed to minimize price volatility.
- DeFi (Decentralized Finance): A financial system built on blockchain technology that operates without traditional intermediaries like banks, offering services such as lending, borrowing, and trading.