A meme coin sitting on the same approved list as Bitcoin and Ethereum inside one of the world’s strictest regulatory regimes. That’s the situation Shiba Inu finds itself in after Laser Digital Japan, the digital assets division of banking giant Nomura Holdings, included SHIB among just six tokens its platform will support.
The approval follows Laser Digital Japan receiving its exchange registration from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) on August 21, 2026. It was the first new crypto exchange license the FSA had issued in four years.
What the Japan approval actually means
Laser Digital Japan’s asset roster is deliberately small: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and now Shiba Inu. That’s it. Six tokens, and a dog-themed memecoin made the cut alongside the blue chips.
Laser Digital Japan plans to focus initially on liquidity services before expanding into broader institutional trading options.
This isn’t SHIB’s first win in Japan, either. The token joined the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA) “Green List” back in November 2025. Getting on that list required achieving listings on at least eight licensed Japanese exchanges, well above the minimum threshold of three. Green List status streamlines the approval process on other domestic platforms, essentially creating a fast pass for further Japanese exchange listings.
Then in April 2026, Rakuten Wallet added SHIB/JPY trading pairs. The Laser Digital Japan approval is the institutional layer on top of that retail foundation.
Technical recovery after a brutal stretch
The token reclaimed its 200-day moving average for the first time in 2026. SHIB’s market cap has stabilized in a range between $3.22 billion and $3.26 billion after spending roughly 11 months grinding lower.
Why Japan matters more than most markets
There’s also a tax dimension worth watching. Japan has been discussing potential tax adjustments for assets on the JVCEA Green List. Currently, crypto gains in Japan can be taxed as miscellaneous income at rates up to 55%, a structure that has historically dampened trading activity. Any favorable changes for Green List assets would directly benefit SHIB holders in the Japanese market.