Hashed Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on blockchain technology, has secured a strategic investment from SMBC Nikko Securities for its Hashed Venture Fund III.

SMBC Nikko is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, one of Japan’s largest financial institutions.

The investment was facilitated through SMBC Nikko’s innovation division, the Nikko Open Innovation Lab (NOIL).

This division focuses on developing business opportunities in emerging sectors, including Web3.

Hashed Ventures operates in cities such as Seoul, San Francisco, and Singapore.

The firm has invested in decentralized projects, including Ethena and Worldcoin.

🔗 Source: Hashed

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Japan’s financial giants are catching up in the global blockchain race

SMBC Nikko’s investment in Hashed marks a significant shift in Japan’s financial landscape, where traditional institutions are now actively pursuing Web3 opportunities.

This move follows broader regulatory advancements in Japan, including amendments to the Payment Services Act that have created a more supportive environment for stablecoin adoption and blockchain innovation 1.

The partnership reflects institutional Web3 adoption trends seen at the TEAMZ Web3/AI Summit, where approximately 10,000 attendees and over 100 exhibitors demonstrated the growing intersection between traditional finance and blockchain technology 2.

Japan’s approach contrasts with earlier blockchain adoption patterns in South Korea and Singapore, where Hashed (with offices in Seoul, Singapore, and other global locations) has previously focused its investments. This suggests a strategic expansion of Web3 institutional adoption in Japan.

The involvement of SMBC Nikko, part of one of Japan’s three largest financial groups with over a century of history, signals that blockchain technology is becoming a strategic business infrastructure for established financial players.

2️⃣ Strategic convergence of cultural assets and blockchain technologies

SMBC Nikko’s Funder Storm team is leading the “Proof of Japan” initiative, which aims to connect Japanese cultural heritage with global NFT initiatives—a strategy that aligns with broader trends of digital asset tokenization.