Gumi, SBI launch $18.3m crypto fund targeting Japan ETF shift
Japanese gaming company Gumi and financial giant SBI are launching a 3 billion yen crypto fund to attract corporate capital and position themselves for a potential lifting of Japan's crypto ETF ban.
Japanese game developer Gumi is partnering with SBI Financial Services to launch a 3 billion yen ($18.3 million) crypto asset fund this Saturday. The vehicle has secured backing from Daiwa Securities Group and other institutional investors. It will be operated by SBI Crypto Fund, a joint venture where SBI Financial Services holds a 51% stake and Gumi’s subsidiary, gC Labs, owns 49%.
The fund will allocate its capital primarily toward Bitcoin and a selection of major alternative cryptocurrencies. Rather than relying solely on passive price appreciation, the managers plan to actively employ staking, portfolio rebalancing, and hedging strategies to generate yield. This approach is specifically designed to attract conservative Japanese corporations seeking digital asset exposure without assuming entirely unchecked directional risk.
Beyond generating immediate returns, the initiative serves as a strategic regulatory maneuver. The joint venture is designed to build a robust operational track record ahead of a potential shift in Japanese law. Tokyo currently bans crypto exchange-traded funds, but if regulators reverse course, an established infrastructure would give the SBI-Gumi partnership a critical advantage in managing those products.
This institutional fund is a natural progression of Gumi’s ongoing financial transformation. The company has aggressively expanded its crypto business over the past several years, anchoring its holdings heavily in XRP. As of April 30, 2026, Gumi reported holding 14.13 billion yen in crypto assets, marking a dramatic increase from the 7.58 billion yen recorded a year earlier.
Gumi’s crypto footprint extends well beyond holding tokens on its corporate books. The company offers portfolio management services via Hinode Technologies and manages separate crypto investment funds. By pairing this digital asset expertise with SBI's financial dominance and Daiwa's institutional reach, Gumi is positioning itself as a key infrastructure provider for corporate Japan's digital asset adoption.
