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Laser Digital Asset Management
Nomura established Laser Digital in 2022, installing former Chief Digital Officer Jez Mohideen as CEO, with Steve Kurz, previously of Galaxy Digital,...
Laser Digital Asset Management
Nomura established Laser Digital in 2022, installing former Chief Digital Officer Jez Mohideen as CEO, with Steve Kurz, previously of Galaxy Digital, leading asset management. The launch formalized the Japanese banking group's multi-year push into digital assets, shifting from internal blockchain experimentation to an externally-facing institutional business. The firm's Swiss subsidiary secured a VQF license in 2023, anchoring its European operations under Swiss regulatory standards. Laser Digital's investment strategy spans three verticals: a venture capital arm targeting early-stage Web3 infrastructure and DeFi protocols, a long-only digital asset fund, and a systematic market-neutral trading desk. Confirmed venture investments include an early-stage round in the Orderly Network, a DeFi trading infrastructure protocol (per the firm's official communications, 2023), and participation in the $40M Series A of The Graph ecosystem participant Infura. The systematic desk trades centralized-exchange spot and derivatives with institutional market-making firms as counterparties. Geographic coverage is spread across the Americas and Asia, with venture deal flow concentrated in Singapore and the US, while trading operations run primarily from Zug and New York. Operational scale remains opaque — the firm has not publicly disclosed assets under management, total deployment, or headcount since its 2022 launch. It maintains offices in eight cities: Amsterdam, Zurich, Singapore, Seoul, San Mateo, New York, Champaign, and Miami. December 2023: Laser Digital opened its Seoul office to anchor Korean institutional distribution for its digital asset fund products (per the firm's official communications, December 2023). The firm also integrated with Nomura's prime brokerage infrastructure, gaining access to the bank's balance sheet and institutional client relationships across Japan and Southeast Asia. Laser Digital's structural differentiator is its parentage: it operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nomura, not a captive internal desk. This separation grants it regulatory autonomy — securing its own Swiss and Dubai licenses — while drawing on Nomura's credit, counterparty relationships, and institutional distribution network. The setup mirrors the hedge-fund spinout model but with permanent institutional backing, a configuration few pure-play crypto managers can replicate.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2022
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Netherlands
City
Amsterdam
Corporate office
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Additional offices
San Mateo, United States · Singapore · Seoul, South Korea · New York, United States · Champaign, United States · Miami, United States · Fort Worth, United States · Zurich, Switzerland
Principals
Jez Mohideen
Chief Executive Officer
Steve Kurz
Head of Asset Management
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Laser Digital?
Asset management is led by Steve Kurz, formerly of Galaxy Digital, who joined at launch in 2022. He oversees the venture capital, long-only, and systematic trading strategies. The firm's CEO, Jez Mohideen, was Nomura's Chief Digital Officer prior to founding Laser Digital, and sets overall firm strategy rather than day-to-day portfolio management.
Is Laser Digital a single family office or a traditional asset manager?
Laser Digital is a traditional asset manager structured as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nomura, the Japanese investment bank. It is not a family office. The firm operates with its own management team, regulatory perimeter, and offices, but benefits from Nomura's balance sheet, client relationships, and credit lines.
What investment strategies does Laser Digital run?
The firm runs three principal strategies: a venture capital arm investing in early-stage Web3 and DeFi protocols, a long-only digital asset fund providing passive exposure to major cryptocurrencies, and a systematic market-neutral trading desk that trades centralized exchange spot and derivatives. The market-neutral business targets low-volatility absolute returns for institutional investors.
How does Laser Digital source venture deal flow?
Venture deal flow is sourced primarily from the Singapore and San Mateo offices, with additional origination in New York. The firm leverages Nomura's client relationships across Asia for co-investor and portfolio company introductions. Its Swiss and Dubai regulatory licenses also provide access to European and Middle Eastern venture ecosystems.
Where is Laser Digital regulated?
The firm operates under multiple regulatory frameworks. Its Swiss subsidiary joined the VQF, a Swiss self-regulatory organization recognized by FINMA, in 2023. It also secured a license from Dubai's Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority. The firm's systematic trading desk operates through established prime brokerage relationships rather than direct retail-facing platforms.
How is Laser Digital related to Nomura?
Laser Digital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nomura, established in 2022 as a standalone company rather than an internal division. This structure allows it to operate with its own regulatory licenses, management team, and offices in eight cities, while accessing Nomura's balance sheet, institutional distribution, and counterparty relationships across Asia.
Does Laser Digital participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The venture arm makes direct investments into early-stage crypto and DeFi protocols. The trading desk engages with external market makers and counterparties rather than committing to outside hedge funds. The firm has not publicly disclosed any fund-of-funds activity, making it primarily a direct investor across its venture and liquid strategies.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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