Japanese Giant Credit Saison Doubles Down on Blockchain With $50M Fund

Credit Saison, one of Japan’s biggest credit card issuers, has unveiled a new investment arm called Onigiri Capital, pledging up to $50 million for early-stage projects.

The fund is pitching itself as a bridge between Silicon Valley’s builders and Asia’s deep financial networks. Onigiri has already lined up about $35 million in commitments from both Credit Saison and external backers, leaving room to expand to its $50 million cap. Its focus is firmly on real-world asset plays: tokenization, DeFi infrastructure, stablecoins, and next-generation payment systems.

Managing partner Qin En Looi said the center of gravity in blockchain is moving rapidly eastward. For U.S. startups, he added, the challenge is less about building good products and more about navigating Asia’s patchwork of regulators, banks, and distribution channels — a gap Onigiri intends to fill. Co-managing partner Hans de Back framed the mission as combining “Silicon Valley’s innovation with Asia’s institutional validation.”

The timing is notable. Global crypto venture activity has cooled since its 2022 peak, when funds raised $86 billion. This year, barely $3.7 billion has been secured across just 28 funds. Higher interest rates and the fallout from collapses like FTX and Terra have made allocators cautious, while digital asset treasury firms — raising billions simply to accumulate tokens — are diverting money away from startup funding.

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Even so, there are signs of life in specific niches. Recent VC flows have tilted back toward financial services and DeFi rather than infrastructure, aligning neatly with Onigiri’s thesis. Data shows creator finance, tokenized assets, and yield-driven models are attracting the bulk of recent investment.

Credit Saison’s involvement underscores how traditional finance in Japan is warming to crypto’s potential. Beyond being one of the country’s largest card issuers, the company holds stakes across banking, real estate, and entertainment, giving it influence well beyond its home market. Its stock, traded in Tokyo under ticker 8253.T, has hovered between ¥2,781 and ¥4,269 over the past year.

For Credit Saison, the creation of Onigiri is less about chasing hype and more about positioning itself as a long-term gateway between American builders and Asia’s capital markets. Whether that bridge can help reverse crypto venture capital’s slump remains to be seen — but it signals that Asia’s role in shaping the industry is set to expand.

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