Catenaa, Sunday, February 09, 2025 – Blockstream, a Bitcoin infrastructure firm co-founded by Adam Back, has opened a new office in Tokyo, marking a major step in expanding Bitcoin adoption across Asia.
The company has partnered with Diamond Hands, a Japanese Bitcoin consultancy, and Fulgur Ventures, an investor in Bitcoin-first firms, to introduce advanced Bitcoin layer-2 solutions, self-custody options, and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.
The expansion comes amid rising institutional interest in Bitcoin in Japan, following the approval of U.S. Bitcoin ETFs. Blockstream aims to help businesses integrate Bitcoin into their treasury strategies, payment systems, and custody services.
Koji Higashi, CEO of Diamond Hands, will serve as Blockstream’s ambassador in Japan, promoting Bitcoin adoption among local enterprises. The company plans to roll out its Lightning and Liquid Networks, alongside self-custodial products such as the Jade Plus hardware wallet and Green software wallet.
Fulgur Ventures, a longtime backer of Blockstream, sees this move as a catalyst for institutional Bitcoin adoption in Japan. The firm pointed to the success of Bitcoin Tokyo 2024 as evidence of Japan’s growing enthusiasm for Bitcoin.
