Purpose
Komainu provides institutional investors with secure, regulated access to the digital asset ecosystem. Founded in 2018 as a joint venture by Nomura, CoinShares and Ledger, the platform is licensed by the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC), registered with the UK's FCA, and holds a VASP licence from Dubai's Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA).
Key Services
Custody — Bank-grade custodial protection using multi-party computation (MPC) and hardware security module (HSM) wallet technology. Assets are held in independently verifiable, on-chain, segregated wallets with transaction approval automation and customisable risk profiles.
Staking — Earn blockchain rewards while assets remain in regulated, segregated custody. Includes detailed reward tracking, automated reward distribution, and operational efficiency through integration with trusted staking providers.
Komainu Connect — Securely access trading and liquidity through a network of trusted partners while assets remain in custody. Mitigates counterparty risk with segregated, on-chain wallets and unlocks deep, multi-venue liquidity.
Komainu CORE — Transform digital assets into secure, compliant collateral with enforceable asset locking, API integration, and full on-chain transparency. Provides legal certainty with enforceable control notices.
Security & Compliance
Built on a zero-trust architecture with continuous system monitoring, Komainu employs advanced MPC and HSM wallet technology to safeguard assets against cyber threats, insider risks, and operational vulnerabilities. The platform offers a unified portal for front, middle, and back office operations with comprehensive reporting and data-driven transparency.
Pros
- Named Institutional Digital Asset Custodian of the Year at Global Custodian's Leaders in Custody Awards 2026 and selected for Fortune's inaugural Crypto Innovators list.
- Client assets are held in segregated, on-chain, bankruptcy-remote wallets using both MPC and HSM technology, ensuring independent verifiability at the blockchain level.
- Backed by Nomura (Japan's largest investment bank), Laser Digital, and Ledger — the first bank-backed crypto custody venture — providing unparalleled institutional credibility.
- Komainu Connect enables trading, borrowing, and lending with trusted partners while assets remain in segregated custody, mitigating counterparty risk without pre-funding.
- Licensed by the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC), registered with the UK's FCA, and holds a VASP licence from Dubai's VARA — offering multi-jurisdictional regulatory oversight.
- Supports custody for 40+ native blockchains and over 6,000 tokens, including BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, and tokenized funds such as BlackRock's BUIDL.
Cons
- Available exclusively to institutional investors (asset managers, hedge funds, banks) — not accessible to retail users or smaller businesses.
- Staking support is limited to a specific set of Proof-of-Stake assets (ETH, SOL, DOT, XTZ, POL, HYPE, ADA, ATOM) rather than spanning all 6,000+ custodial tokens.
- With approximately 70 employees (expanding to ~120) across four offices, the operational footprint is relatively small for a global custody operation.
- Faces strong competition from other bank-backed custodians such as Zodia Custody (Standard Chartered) for the same institutional client base globally.
- The CEO has publicly stated Komainu may withdraw from the UK if proposed FCA rules become too onerous, introducing regulatory uncertainty in that market.