Japan Pension Fund Serving 1,200 Firms Plans Crypto Investment

The Nationwide Business Corporate Pension Fund, based in Okayama and serving about 1,200 small and medium-sized businesses, plans to allocate roughly 1% of its assets to cryptocurrency in fiscal year 2026. The pension fund manages about 21.3 billion yen (about $130 million).

It will invest through a passive fund run by an unnamed "major" hedge fund that holds multiple crypto assets. The move forms part of a diversification effort; the fund currently allocates about 80% of assets to yen, 15% to US dollars and 5% to other currencies.

The decision suggests crypto is gaining acceptance among some of Japan's more conservative institutional investors as the country prepares to integrate digital assets with traditional finance. On June 11, the House of Representatives passed legislation to bring crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, aligning their rules more closely with conventional financial products.

Japan, Okayama

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