Japanese game developer launches Bitcoin fund with SBI
Japanese game developer launches a ¥3 billion Bitcoin and altcoin fund with SBI Financial Services, set to start Saturday. The vehicle, backed by Daiwa Securities Group and others, aims to bridge Japan's corporate sector and crypto markets while Gumi nearly doubles its XRP-centered digital asset holdings.
Key Takeaways
- Gumi will start a ¥3 billion (about $18.3 million) Bitcoin and major-altcoin fund on Saturday with SBI Financial Services.
- SBI Crypto Fund is a joint venture owned 51% by SBI Financial Services and 49% by Gumi subsidiary gC Labs.
- Strategies include staking, portfolio rebalancing and hedging, with Daiwa Securities Group among backers.
- Gumi's crypto holdings nearly doubled to ¥14.13 billion as of April 30, 2026, from ¥7.58 billion a year earlier.
What did the Japanese game developer launch with SBI?
Tokyo-listed game studio Gumi said it will begin operating a crypto asset fund valued at about 3 billion yen with SBI Financial Services, according to Cointelegraph's report of the company's Tuesday announcement.
The fund is run through SBI Crypto Fund, a joint venture in which SBI Financial Services holds a 51% stake and Gumi's subsidiary gC Labs holds 49%. Daiwa Securities Group and other investors are backing the launch.
Primary allocations will target Bitcoin and major altcoins. Gumi said managers plan to use staking, portfolio rebalancing and hedging as part of the strategy.
Why does this crypto fund matter for Japan?
Gumi framed the fund's mission as connecting Japan's corporate sector with the crypto market. The company also wants an operational track record ahead of a possible future lifting of Japan's ban on crypto exchange-traded funds.
That positioning matters for readers tracking Fintech & Crypto Alerts: it pairs a consumer-facing game developer with a major Japanese financial group at a moment when listed crypto products remain restricted domestically.
If Japan later eases ETF rules, firms with live fund operations, compliance habits and performance data could move faster than late entrants. Gumi is openly building for that scenario.
How does the launch fit Gumi's growing crypto business?
The Bitcoin and altcoin vehicle builds on Gumi's wider crypto push. That business already includes managing its own holdings centered on XRP, portfolio management services through Hinode Technologies, and other crypto investment funds.
Balance-sheet figures underscore the shift. As of April 30, 2026, Gumi held 14.13 billion yen in crypto assets, nearly doubling from 7.58 billion yen a year earlier, Cointelegraph reported from the company's latest annual report.
In short, the japanese game developer launches this SBI-linked fund not as a one-off experiment, but as another step in a crypto unit that already sits at meaningful scale on the corporate books.