Credit Saison Launches $50M Blockchain Fund to Bridge US Startups with Asian Markets

Japan's third-largest credit card company, Credit Saison, is venturing deeper into blockchain with a new $50 million fund targeting early-stage firms in the real-world asset sector. The fund, dubbed Onigiri Capital, has already secured $35 million from Credit Saison and other investors, with plans to expand to its full capacity.

The initiative focuses on financial infrastructure projects—stablecoins, tokenization platforms, and DeFi products—while strategically linking US startups with Asia's burgeoning digital asset markets. Qin En Looi, Onigiri's managing partner, emphasized leveraging Credit Saison's regional banking ties and regulatory expertise to ease market entry for US founders across Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.

Hans de Back, another managing partner, highlighted the fund's dual mandate: ensuring compliance with global financial standards while capitalizing on Asia's mature infrastructure. Credit Saison, backed by Mizuho Financial Group, continues to expand its crypto footprint after Saison Capital began supporting blockchain ventures last year.