Laser Digital Appoints Hideaki Kudo as Head of New Tokyo Office

Laser Digital, the digital asset subsidiary of Nomura, has announced the appointment of Hideaki Kudo as the Head of their new Tokyo office. Kudo will also serve as the Representative Director of the new establishment.

Before his appointment, Kudo held the position of Executive Director at Nomura’s Digital Company, where he was responsible for its digital asset strategy. He played a crucial role in the development of security tokens for Nomura Group and the launching of the first real estate security token offering in Japan.

Kudo has been with the Nomura Group since 2007. Prior to the Digital Company, he worked as a Senior Portfolio Manager at Nomura Asset Management.

Background of Laser Digital

Laser Digital was launched last fall by Nomura. The company was co-founded by Steven Ashley, who previously led Nomura’s wholesale division, and Jez Mohideen, who served as Nomura’s Chief Digital Officer and Co-Head of Global Markets EMEA.

With its headquarters in Switzerland, Laser Digital merges the best practices and capabilities from global investment banking with the experience of a crypto-native team.

Steven Ashley, commenting on Kudo’s appointment, stated that the addition of Kudo to the team would provide valuable expertise from his experience at the Digital Company, which will be beneficial for Laser Digital’s development and growth.

Hideaki Kudo’s Statement

Hideaki Kudo expressed his excitement about joining Laser as they extend operations to Japan. He mentioned that he has been managing Nomura’s advancements into the digital asset space since 2019, and is now eager to contribute to the Laser team’s journey.