Blockstream Opens New Office in Tokyo as It Expands in Asia

Blockstream, the crypto company co-founded by legendary bitcoin (BTC) developer Adam Back, is expanding its global presence with the opening of a new office in Tokyo, the company said in a press release on Wednesday.

The company will be partnering in the region with Diamond Hands, Japan's leading Bitcoin strategic consultancy, and investment firm Fulgur Ventures.

Blockstream plans to drive adoption of Bitcoin Layer-2 and self custody technologies in Japan, the company said, as well as the tokenization of real world assets (RWA).

Japanese corporates have shown increased interest in the world's largest cryptocurrency. Metaplanet (3350), the hotel investor, recently announced the largest capital raise in Asian equity market history to buy bitcoin.

Blockstream is looking to support local businesses that want to participate in the bitcoin economy, and can offer treasury, payments infrastructure, and custody solutions, the company said.

"With increased regulatory clarity and rising institutional interest in bitcoin now is the moment for Blockstream to establish a direct presence in Japan, one of our most important markets," said Adam Back, co-founder and CEO of Blockstream.

"We look forward to empowering Japanese enterprises and individuals to fully harness Bitcoin as the foundation for a financial future that's secure, scalable and decentralized," Back added.

Blockstream Capital, the investment arm of the business, recently invested $75 million in bitcoin in Komainu, a crypto custody joint venture between Nomura, Ledger and Coinshares.

Read more: Nomura-Backed Komainu Receives $75M Bitcoin Investment From Blockstream Capital