Japanese game developer Gumi is launching a ¥3 billion cryptocurrency fund focused on Bitcoin and major altcoins through a subsidiary partnership with SBI Financial Services and Daiwa. The SBI Crypto Fund I will begin operations August 1, 2026, according to the company announcement.
Gumi, which operates through its subsidiary gC Labs, is joining a wave of traditional Japanese conglomerates entering crypto asset management. SBI Group, the financial services arm of SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son's holding company, has positioned itself as one of Japan's most active institutional crypto investors over the past three years, acquiring stakes in multiple blockchain infrastructure firms and launching venture capital vehicles focused on digital assets.
The fund structure pairs Gumi's gaming sector expertise with SBI's financial distribution network and Daiwa's underwriting capacity. At approximately $18.3 million, the vehicle's size places it in the mid-tier range for Japanese crypto-focused venture funds launched since 2023. Japanese gaming and media companies have begun treating cryptocurrency allocation as a core business unit rather than an experimental sidecar since regulatory clarity under Japan's crypto licensing regime established in 2020.
Gumi operates through subsidiaries in multiple jurisdictions and has historically invested in blockchain gaming infrastructure and play-to-earn protocol development. The fund's stated focus on Bitcoin and major altcoins differs from Gumi's prior equity investments, which concentrated on early-stage protocol teams and gaming-specific blockchain platforms. The fund targets mature large-cap digital assets alongside venture bets.
SBI's involvement adds institutional credibility to the vehicle. The group has deployed capital across custody solutions, exchange infrastructure, and blockchain R&D in Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. Daiwa, one of Japan's largest securities firms, provides regulatory sponsorship and distribution access to Japanese institutional clients who require traditional underwriting oversight before crypto allocation.
The fund launches during a period of sustained institutional inflow into Bitcoin and Ethereum following approval of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds in multiple jurisdictions. Japanese pension funds and insurance companies have begun exploring direct cryptocurrency exposure, though allocations remain below 1 percent of total assets under management across the sector.
The SBI Crypto Fund I's August 1 launch date means initial deployment capital will enter the market during a window of relative stability in Bitcoin pricing. If the fund reaches its capital target within six months of opening, Gumi and SBI are expected to announce a second fund vehicle in the same structure.
