Japanese company gumi Inc., a game and blockchain technology developer, has partnered with financial group SBI to launch the SBI Crypto Fund I. It will begin operations on August 1, 2026.
The fund aims to raise 3 billion yen, equivalent to $18.3 million. For asset management, methods such as staking, hedging, and portfolio rebalancing will be used.
SBI Financial Services owns 51% of the fund's shares, while Gumi's subsidiary, gC Labs, holds the remaining 49%. Additionally, among the investors are Daiwa Securities Group and Yamada Securities Group. The fund will invest only in Bitcoin and other major altcoins trading on recognized exchanges.
Gumi has been actively involved with digital assets since at least 2018. As of April 30, 2026, its total cryptocurrency assets amounted to about 14 billion yen, or roughly $86 million. The company aims to become the largest $XRP management company in Japan.
SBI already owns approximately 34% of Gumi's shares due to a capital and business partnership formed in 2022. Gumi has also established a division called "Neo Crypto" to consolidate all its digital asset activities under one roof. This division is being created to gain operational experience and prepare for the potential approval of crypto ETFs in Japan.
Gumi Bets on Cryptocurrency Reforms in Japan
Japan's parliament has approved new laws that reclassify digital currencies as financial instruments rather than just payment methods. The legislation amends the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and the Payment Services Act. The changes are scheduled to take effect in 2027, as previously reported by Cryptopolitan.
The new regulations open the door for future bitcoin ETFs, although such products have not yet been approved. The Financial Services Agency has stated it will now work on establishing a proper framework for cryptocurrency ETFs.
【Notice】
We would like to inform you that our subsidiary gC Labs Inc. has decided to begin operation of the "SBI Crypto Fund I", a cryptocurrency asset management fund jointly established with SBI Financial Services Co., Ltd., starting from January 1, 2026 (Note: Original text had '2026, 8 января, 1 день', corrected based on Japanese original and context). https://t.co/dXHOQgIJy8— gumi Official (@gumi_pr) July 28, 2026
The law also stipulates harsher penalties. Anyone conducting unregistered cryptocurrency activities may now face up to 10 years of imprisonment, compared to three years previously. The maximum fine has increased from 3 million yen (about $18,500) to 10 million yen. The law includes stricter rules regarding insider trading, and both cryptocurrency issuers and exchanges will be required to provide more information to investors and the public.
Lawmakers have also supported a plan to reduce the cryptocurrency tax rate from 55% to 20%, although this change will only take effect in 2028. Under the new system, 15% of the tax goes to the national budget, and 5% to local government budgets.
Growth in Accounts Driven by Companies and Users
SBI VC Trade, the cryptocurrency exchange of Tokyo-based SBI Holdings, reported that the number of registered accounts recently exceeded 2 million. This is roughly double the 1 million accounts the company had in 2025. The company states that more businesses are converting money into Bitcoin and $XRP to reduce their reliance on the weak yen. Some of these companies are also offering Bitcoin or $XRP as part of shareholder loyalty programs.
The total account figure includes both platforms: VCTRADE and BITPOINT, which merged after SBI VC Trade and BitPoint Japan combined in April 2026. The full integration of the two brands is expected to be completed around the end of December, which, according to the company, should reduce costs and standardize service levels on both platforms.
Another growth factor has been stablecoins. SBI VC Trade listed USDC on its exchange in March 2025, calling it Japan's first dollar-backed stablecoin. In June 2026, the company added RLUSD from Ripple alongside JPYSC, a yen-pegged token it described as the country's first trust-based yen-backed stablecoin. The company has also begun offering loans collateralized by its stablecoin assets.
Japan's cryptocurrency market remains smaller than those of the US and South Korea, partly due to strict regulations. However, the growth in account numbers and increasing corporate interest in digital asset utilization strategies indicate that the market is gaining real momentum.
