---
title: "Nomura Explores Sale of Crypto Arm Laser Digital Amid European Losses"
description: "The Japanese investment bank is holding discussions with potential suitors including Marex Group following four straight quarters of regional losses."
url: https://basisdesk.news/news/nomura-considers-sale-crypto-unit-laser-digital
published: 2026-11-11T21:56:17.210Z
modified: 2026-11-11T21:56:17.210Z
section: Institutions & ETFs
author: Basis Desk Newsroom (AI-generated, source-verified)
sentiment: neutral
tickers: [BTC]
tags: [laser-digital, nomura, mergers-and-acquisitions, institutional-custody, japan]
license: Quote with attribution to Basis Desk (basisdesk.news). Not financial advice.
---

# Nomura Explores Sale of Crypto Arm Laser Digital Amid European Losses

The Japanese investment bank is holding discussions with potential suitors including Marex Group following four straight quarters of regional losses.

## At a glance

- **What happened:** Nomura Holdings opened discussions with potential buyers, including Marex Group, regarding a potential sale of crypto arm Laser Digital.
- **Why it matters:** The review follows four consecutive quarterly losses in Nomura's European business totaling 7.4 billion yen in the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2026.
- **Who is affected:** Nomura Holdings, Laser Digital, institutional trading clients, and prospective acquirers including Marex Group.
- **What's next:** Nomura has yet to finalize a decision and may opt to retain the business.
- **Primary source:** [Nomura explores sale of crypto unit Laser Digital: Bloomberg](https://cointelegraph.com/news/nomura-sale-crypto-unit-laser-digital?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound) — cointelegraph.com

## Key points

- Nomura has held talks with prospective buyers, including Marex Group, regarding the sale of its crypto subsidiary Laser Digital.
- Nomura's European operations recorded a fourth straight quarterly loss of 7.4 billion yen ($46.5 million) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2026.
- The review follows Laser Digital Japan securing the first new Japanese crypto exchange license in four years less than three months earlier.

## Editorial remark

- **Context:** Nomura founded Laser Digital in 2022 to establish an institutional gateway to crypto trading, venture investments, and asset management, steadily pursuing licenses across Switzerland, Japan, and the United States.
- **Impact:** A full or partial divestment would alter institutional liquidity access and signal strategic retreats among Tier 1 investment banks reassessing regional profitability across European subsidiaries.
- **Watch:** Nomura's formal corporate filing or official statement regarding whether it will proceed with a transaction or retain Laser Digital under restructured balance sheet constraints.

Japanese financial conglomerate Nomura Holdings is evaluating a potential sale of its digital asset arm, Laser Digital, amid sustained losses in its European division [1]. Nomura has engaged in preliminary discussions with potential buyers, including financial services firm Marex Group [1]. A final decision has not been reached, and the firm could still elect to retain the subsidiary [1].

The strategic review follows a fourth consecutive quarter in the red for Nomura’s European division, which reported a pretax loss of 7.4 billion yen ($46.5 million) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2026 [1]. In contrast, the financial services group recorded pretax profits across all other geographic reporting regions over the same quarter [1]. Nomura has not clarified whether Switzerland-headquartered Laser Digital contributed to those regional European losses [1]. As of September 2026, Nomura's investment management division managed 152.8 trillion yen ($960 billion) in assets [1].

## Institutional Footprint and Regulatory Milestones

Laser Digital was launched in 2022 to provide institutional cryptocurrency trading, asset management, and venture capital investments [1]. The potential divestment comes shortly after Laser Digital Japan secured Japan's first new crypto exchange license in four years, expanding its institutional trading mandate in its home market [1]. The entity had also progressed on its US expansion, securing preliminary approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in May for a proposed national trust bank [1].

In a January earnings call, Nomura Chief Financial Officer Hiroyuki Moriuchi stated that the company intended to scale back crypto trading positions to curb short-term volatility, even as it planned medium- to long-term growth for the arm [1]. At the time of writing, the broader digital asset market was trading around a total market capitalization of $2.47 trillion, with $BTC at $74,360.

## Sources

1. [Nomura explores sale of crypto unit Laser Digital: Bloomberg](https://cointelegraph.com/news/nomura-sale-crypto-unit-laser-digital?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound) — cointelegraph.com, 2026-11-11

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Basis Desk Newsroom · AI-generated, source-verified · https://basisdesk.news/about/how-we-use-ai