Hashed partners with Japan's SMBC Nikko..."Accelerating the expansion of the Asian Web3 ecosystem"

Global blockchain venture capital (VC) Hashed Ventures announced on the 5th that it has secured a strategic investment in the "Hashed Venture Fund III" from SMBC Nikko Securities, a core securities subsidiary of Mitsui Sumitomo Financial Group (SMFG), one of Japan's three largest financial groups.

In particular, it is evaluated that this investment reflects SMBC Nikko's high interest in the Web3 and blockchain sector. Nikko Open Innovation Lab (NOIL), a new business division under SMBC Nikko, is pursuing the Proof of Japan project, which combines Japanese cultural assets with global non-fungible token (NFT) projects. In addition, it is actively supporting education and rule-setting to foster the Japanese Web3 industry environment. The plan is to actively leverage Hashed’s global network and expertise to create a strong Web3 industry synergy.

Hashed is also expected to speed up the collaboration between Japan’s traditional finance sector and the Web3 industry through this investment attraction. Previously, Hashed has been proactively creating an ecosystem for the growth of Japan’s Web3 sector, such as by co-hosting the "Blockchain Leaders Summit Tokyo 2024" in Tokyo. Moving forward, they plan to actively seek diverse investment opportunities within Japan’s startup ecosystem.

Kim Seo-joon, CEO of Hashed, said, “The partnership with SMBC Nikko Securities is a significant milestone in breaking down the boundaries between Japan’s traditional financial industry and the Web3 sector. We find it very meaningful that a leading Japanese financial institution is joining Hashed’s philosophy and vision, and through this cooperation, we will further accelerate the growth of the Asian Web3 ecosystem.”

Goto Ayumu, Executive Managing Director in charge of Planning and Finance at SMBC Nikko, commented, “Web3 based on blockchain is attracting attention as a next-generation infrastructure with the potential to fundamentally change existing financial and economic systems. This investment demonstrates our strong commitment to the Web3 sector. We will continue to actively play a bridging role between innovative technology and the capital market.”