Nomura's digital assets subsidiary, Laser Digital, today announces the launch of their Ethereum Adoption Fund. The Fund, which invests in long-only spot positions in Ethereum, also deploys a yield enhancement strategy by staking the Ethereum held by the fund.

It is the second in a series of digital adoption investment solutions that Laser Digital Asset Management began launching in September, starting with the Laser Digital Bitcoin Adoption Fund.

The ‘Laser Digital Ethereum Adoption Fund SP’ is a segregated portfolio of Laser Digital Funds SPC (a segregated portfolio company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands under registration number MC-401019). Komainu, which is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority in Dubai, will provide secure, regulated custody for the fund’s assets.

Laser Digital Asset Management is led by Sebastian Guglietta, who was previously Nomura’s Chief Scientist Officer, prior to which he was a Portfolio Manager and Senior Scientist at Brevan Howard. Sebastien has over 25 years of experience in the domain of systematic investment strategies, derivatives and macro trading. Fiona King, Head of Distribution, joined Laser from Nickel Digital Asset Management, where she was Managing Director and Global Head of Institutional Business and prior to this she was at Bank of America Merrill Lynch responsible for their UCITS alternative platform.

On launching the fund, Sebastien Guglietta, Head of Laser Digital Asset Management commented: “Technology is a key driver of economic growth and transforms a large part of the economy from being analogue to digital. Ethereum is one of the enablers of this long-lasting transformational change. Hence, being exposed to Ethereum in the long run is considered a solution to capture this structural technology trend and the pace at which the Web 3.0 economy expands its network effect.”

Fiona King, Head of Distribution, Laser Digital Asset Management added: “We’re excited to now be able to offer institutional investors a regulated product to allow investment and even staking in Ethereum. Our product simplifies digital asset investment strategies, driving institutional engagement securely.”

Laser Digital was launched by Nomura and was co-founded by Steven Ashley, who previously led Nomura's wholesale division and Jez Mohideen, who was Nomura’s Chief Digital Officer and Co-Head of Global Markets EMEA. Headquartered in Switzerland, Laser Digital combines the rigor, best practices, and capabilities from global investment banking with the experience of a crypto-native team.