Japanese game developer expands crypto push with SBI

Japanese game developer Gumi will begin operating a roughly ¥3 billion crypto asset fund with SBI Financial Services on Aug.

• ¥3 billion fund begins operations August 1, targeting Bitcoin, major altcoins and active portfolio strategies.
• SBI Financial Services owns 51%, while Gumi subsidiary gC Labs holds the remaining 49% stake.
• Gumi held ¥14.13 billion in crypto assets by April, marking an 86% annual increase companywide.

According to a July 28 company announcement. The private fund, named SBI Crypto Fund I, will invest mainly in Bitcoin and major listed altcoins. Daiwa Securities Group and several unnamed investors have also committed capital. However, Gumi did not disclose individual investment amounts or the fund's planned asset allocations.

Gumi and SBI will operate the fund for three years

SBI Crypto Fund I will operate as a private placement through a Japanese silent partnership structure. The fund has a planned three-year term and will be managed by SBI Crypto Fund LLC, according to the official fund overview.

SBI Financial Services owns 51% of the operating company. Gumi's wholly owned subsidiary, gC Labs, owns the other 49%. The partners had originally considered beginning operations in 2025 but delayed the launch while assessing crypto-market conditions.

The fund will combine staking, portfolio rebalancing and hedging. Gumi did not identify the altcoins it plans to hold, its custody providers, fee structure or specific risk limits. It also warned that the announcement does not guarantee future returns and is not an invitation to invest.

Bitcoin and altcoins support a wider product strategy

Gumi said the fund's mission is to "bridge the crypto asset market and Japanese companies" through investment and liquidity provision. That statement describes the fund's planned role rather than a measurable outcome.

The participating companies also plan to collect performance data and test portfolio strategies that combine traditional and digital assets. Gumi said the information could support research into future investment trusts and other managed products. No such retail product has been announced or approved.

The company also said it wants to build a track record before the "possible lifting of the ban" on domestic crypto exchange-traded funds. Japan's Financial Services Agency has discussed changes that could eventually allow certain crypto ETFs, but regulatory and investment-trust rules still need to support their launch.

Notably, Japan's first Bitcoin ETF could arrive by 2028 as regulators revise the country's fund framework. That date remains a reported possibility rather than an official launch deadline.

Gumi's crypto assets nearly doubled within one year

Gumi's crypto holdings have already become a large part of its balance sheet. The company reported ¥14.13 billion in crypto assets as of April 30, 2026, up from ¥7.58 billion one year earlier. The increase was about 86%.

Its annual financial results also showed a ¥2.63 billion valuation gain from crypto assets during the latest fiscal year. The company recorded a ¥60.4 million loss from crypto sales, while its operating profit fell to ¥83.3 million. Therefore, valuation gains made a large contribution to Gumi's ¥2.17 billion ordinary profit.

Gumi said its crypto business centres on active holdings of XRP, portfolio management through Hinode Technologies and investment-fund operations. In addition, Gumi adopted XRP as a corporate treasury asset after previously approving a ¥1 billion Bitcoin purchase.

What happens after the August 1 launch

SBI Crypto Fund I is scheduled to begin operations on Aug. 1. The first verified information on its holdings, staking activity or performance will depend on future disclosures from Gumi, SBI or the fund operator.

The announcement did not set a reporting schedule or provide return targets. It also did not say whether investors may add capital after launch. For now, the confirmed structure remains a three-year private fund with approximately ¥3 billion in committed capital.