Credit Saison, a Major Financial Company From Japan, Has Launched a $50 Million Blockchain Fund

Berita Crypto , Tuesday, 16 September 2025

Posted by Rima Dwi Astuti

Credit Saison Launches $35M Blockchain Fund Focused on Real-World Assets

Credit Saison, Japan’s third-largest credit card company, has launched a new venture fund called Onigiri Capital to invest in early-stage blockchain startups, especially those working with real-world assets (RWA).

So far, the fund has raised $35 million from Credit Saison and other investors, with plans to grow it to $50 million.

Focus of the Fund
Onigiri Capital will back companies developing:

Stablecoins
Tokenization platforms
Payment systems
Decentralized finance (DeFi) products

The fund’s main goal is to connect U.S. startups with Asia’s growing digital asset markets, helping them enter countries like Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Qin En Looi, managing partner of Onigiri, said the fund will use Credit Saison’s banking ties, regulatory knowledge, and networks to support startups. Fellow partner Hans de Back added that the fund will help projects meet global financial standards.

Background on Credit Saison
Based in Tokyo and linked to Mizuho Financial Group, Credit Saison operates not only in credit cards but also in banking, real estate, and entertainment. Its investment arm, Saison Capital, has been supporting crypto ventures since 2023.

Market Context
The launch comes at a challenging time for crypto funding:

In 2022, crypto funds raised $86 billion.
In 2025, only $3.7 billion has been raised so far across 28 funds.

Funding slowed due to high interest rates, the collapse of firms like FTX and Terra, and competition from digital asset treasury companies.

Still, investors are showing more interest in blockchain projects tied to financial services and DeFi, suggesting demand remains strong for solutions with institutional use cases.