65% of Japanese Institutional Investors Use Bitcoin for Portfolio Diversification — Nomura Report

Japanese financial giant Nomura and its subsidiary Laser Digital have released a comprehensive report examining institutional attitudes toward digital assets in 2026. The findings show that 65% of professional investors in Japan now employ cryptocurrencies as a diversification tool within their portfolios.

Growing Institutional Optimism

The survey gathered responses from 518 professionals representing family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and major institutional organizations. The data reveals a notable shift in sentiment:

• 31% of respondents expressed a positive outlook on the crypto market's future — up from just 25% in 2024;
• The share of skeptics declined from 23% to 18%;
• 65% of participants already use digital assets for portfolio diversification;
• Most investors plan to allocate between 2% and 5% of capital to crypto over the next three years.

These numbers point to a steady transition among Japan's institutional capital — moving from cautious observation to active market participation.

Why This Matters

Japan ranks among the world's largest financial markets, and the stance of its institutional investors carries significant weight across the Asia-Pacific region. Rising confidence in crypto among family offices and sovereign funds signals a fundamental shift in how this asset class is perceived. Nomura's analysts noted that investors have stopped treating cryptocurrency as an experiment and have moved on to practical considerations around risk management and integration into existing strategies.

Regulatory updates in Japan at the end of 2025 further supported this transition by creating a more transparent framework for institutional participation.

Passive Income and Stablecoins Draw Attention

A dedicated section of the report addresses passive income strategies. More than 60% of those surveyed are exploring staking, mining, crypto lending, and investments in tokenized real-world assets (RWA).

In the stablecoin segment, institutional players place the greatest trust in coins issued by major banking institutions. Investors view these as tools for cross-border settlements and capital management.

Remaining Barriers to Broader Adoption

Despite the positive trajectory, several obstacles persist. Respondents highlighted the following key concerns:

• High volatility in cryptocurrency markets;
• Custodial risks — challenges related to secure asset storage;
• A lack of robust fundamental analysis tools for digital assets.

These factors continue to hold back investors who have not yet entered the market and limit allocation sizes for those already active in the space.

Global Context

Nomura's findings align with a broader worldwide trend. Earlier in February 2026, analysts at River recorded a record level of Bitcoin adoption among institutional banks, public companies, and nation-states. The Japanese data confirms that this momentum is global in nature, reaching even historically conservative financial markets.