Japanese TradFi Giant Credit Saison Launches $50M Blockchain Fund to Bridge US Startups with Asia
Traditional finance meets Web3—and it's bringing serious capital to the table.
Credit Saison, one of Japan's largest credit card issuers, just dropped a $50 million bet on blockchain's future. The fund targets US-based startups hungry for Asian market access—and Asian investors craving exposure to Silicon Valley's brightest crypto innovators.
Why This Matters
This isn't just another corporate innovation play. It's a strategic bridge between two financial superpowers—US tech creativity and Asian capital depth. The move signals that traditional finance giants finally understand: blockchain isn't a niche—it's the next infrastructure layer.
Asian institutions have been cautiously circling crypto for years. Now they're diving in—with TradFi expertise and regulatory savvy that pure-play crypto funds often lack. Because nothing says 'serious investment' like a 70-year-old financial institution writing eight-figure checks.
The fund will focus on early-stage companies building infrastructure, DeFi protocols, and Web3 applications. Priority goes to projects with clear Asian market applications—or those needing regulatory guidance to navigate Japan's famously strict Financial Services Agency.
Timing is everything. While Western regulators drag their feet, Asia's embracing blockchain with open arms—and open wallets. Credit Saison's move proves that the smart money isn't waiting for permission. It's building the future.
Because sometimes the most revolutionary moves come from the most traditional players—who apparently realized that blocking chain technology beats blocking progress.
Connecting Asian markets
Onigiri Capital will concentrate on companies building financial infrastructure such as stablecoins, tokenization platforms, payment rails, and decentralized finance products. The fund’s strategy emphasizes connecting startups in the US with Asia’s growing digital asset markets.
Qin En Looi, managing partner of Onigiri and a partner at Saison Capital, said the initiative is designed to help founders from the U.S. establish themselves in Asia by leveraging Credit Saison’s banking relationships, regulatory knowledge, and distribution networks across Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Fellow managing partner Hans de Back added that the fund aims to help projects meet global financial standards while tapping into Asia’s established infrastructure.
Credit Saison, based in Tokyo and affiliated with Mizuho Financial Group, also operates in banking, real estate, and entertainment in addition to its credit card business.
Tougher climate for crypto venture deals
The launch comes at a time when funding in the digital asset sector remains subdued. After peaking at $86 billion across 329 funds in 2022, crypto venture capital has cooled dramatically.
Industry data show that just $3.7 billion has been raised across 28 funds this year. Deployment has also slowed. Funds invested $8.13 billion between January and August 2024, but only $8.05 billion over the same period in 2025.
Higher interest rates, the collapse of high-profile firms such as FTX and Terra’s LUNA/UST, and the rise of digital asset treasury companies that compete for capital as factors weighing on the market.
However, recent allocations have shown a tilt toward startups focused on financial services and decentralized finance, suggesting that despite broader caution, investors remain interested in blockchain products with clear institutional applications.
