Nomura-backed Komainu raises $75M in Bitcoin to fuel global expansion

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Komainu Holdings, a regulated cryptocurrency custodian backed by Nomura’s Laser Digital, has raised $75 million in Bitcoin from Blockstream Capital Partners to support worldwide expansion and integrate advanced crypto technology, according to a news release.

The investment, pending regulatory approval, will incorporate Blockstream’s collateral management and tokenization solutions, support the firm’s global expansion and integrate advanced crypto tech.

The funding, structured as a Bitcoin (BTC) transaction, includes the establishment of a Bitcoin treasury to manage the funds with risk management and hedging strategies.

Blockstream executives, including CEO Adam Back, will join Komainu’s board of directors to solidify the partnership.

Funding allocations

The investment will be directed toward adopting Blockstream’s technologies, including the Liquid Network, a Bitcoin sidechain and asset management platform (AMP) tech that facilitates tokenized asset management and automation.

Komainu plans to use the Liquid Network to reduce settlement times for off-exchange margining and transactions via its Komainu Connect solution, while AMP tech will enable the firm to automate tokenized asset support.

Komainu will set up a Bitcoin treasury to manage the funding effectively amid the company’s global expansion push to provide compliant digital asset services to institutional clients.

Paul Frost-Smith, co-CEO of Komainu, told Cointelegraph that the funding will enable the firm to “expand into new markets” and cut the time of its Komainu Connect solution “from hours to minutes.” He added:

“This transaction is the first ever Series B to be funded in Bitcoin. Komainu will run a treasury function around its own Bitcoin positions going forward, considering yield enhancement opportunities and hedging as necessary. We expect this to be an increasingly common trend among crypto-focused businesses.“

Partnership details and implications

According to the release, Blockstream’s enterprise-grade solutions, such as its hardware security module wallet, will widen the variety of digital asset services Komainu can offer.

Frost-Smith said that Singapore and Japan are the targets for expansion to begin with, followed by “the US and Switzerland.”

The partnership with Blockstream is further cemented by the addition of Komainu CEO PeterPaul Pardi and Nicolas Brand, who will provide strategic guidance as the collaboration progresses.

Propine acquisition

In October 2024, Komainu targeted Propine Holdings, the parent company of Propine Technologies, for acquisition and aimed to follow up with an application for a Major Payment Institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

At the time, Frost-Smith said that acquiring Propine would improve Komainu’s ability to meet “significant client demand” as the firm sought to expand its position in Asia.

According to a Bloomberg report, Komainu acquired Propine Holdings in 2024.

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