A subsidiary of Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group makes strategic investment in Hashed Venture

 SMBC Nikko Securities, a securities subsidiary of Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), announced a strategic investment in Hashed Venture's blockchain fund, Hashed Venture Fund III. The specific investment amount has not been disclosed. It is reported that this investment may promote broader cooperation between traditional finance in Japan and the Web3 industry. There are reports that SMBC Nikko's innovation laboratory, Nikko Open Innovation Lab (NOIL), is advancing a project called "Proof of Japan," which aims to digitize Japanese cultural assets using NFT technology.