Nomura Holdings is weighing options to sell its crypto subsidiary, Laser Digital. According to a Bloomberg report on November 11, 2026, the Japanese financial services group has held preliminary talks with several potential buyers, including international financial broker Marex Group.
The discussions remain in early stages and have not yielded a final decision. Nomura still retains the option to keep ownership of the business unit if negotiations fail to reach an agreement.
Four Consecutive Quarters of Losses in Europe
The potential sale follows a pre-tax loss of 7.4 billion yen (around $46.5 million) recorded by Nomura’s European business division for the quarter ending September 30, 2026. That loss marked the fourth consecutive quarterly loss for Nomura’s European operations, while all other regional divisions posted pre-tax profits over the same period.
Nomura’s management did not disclose whether Laser Digital - headquartered in Switzerland - contributed to the European division’s losses. Nomura is one of Japan’s largest financial services groups, with an investment management arm overseeing 152.8 trillion yen (around $960 billion) in assets as of September 2026.
Contrasting Licensing Expansions in Tokyo and Washington
The divestment plan emerged just three months after Laser Digital Japan secured Japan’s first new crypto exchange license in four years in August 2026. The license was obtained to expand institutional trading services in the domestic Japanese market.
Laser Digital was established in Switzerland in 2022 to provide three core services: institutional crypto trading, digital asset management, and venture capital funding. In addition to Japan, the unit’s expansion in the United States has also progressed, having received preliminary approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in May 2026 to establish a national trust bank.
Meanwhile, Nomura’s strategic stance on digital asset exposure had already started to shift earlier this year. In January 2026, Nomura Chief Financial Officer Hiroyuki Moriuchi indicated plans to scale back crypto trading positions to dampen short-term volatility, while keeping Laser Digital’s medium- to long-term expansion plans intact.
For market participants monitoring Laser Digital’s expansion, these talks underscore Nomura’s priorities: holding a new license in Tokyo and trust bank approval in Washington does not automatically protect a digital asset business unit when its regional division is posting losses.
Reported via Cointelegraph.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
