Animoca Brands Japan has entered into a partnership with RootstockLabs to introduce Bitcoin-native decentralized finance tools to Japanese corporations and institutional investors. The collaboration is designed to support Bitcoin treasury management and onchain financial operations using infrastructure secured by Bitcoin’s proof-of-work network.
The initiative comes as Japanese companies increasingly explore digital assets as part of a balance sheet strategy, amid persistent global inflation concerns and growing institutional acceptance of Bitcoin as a non-sovereign reserve asset. Japan’s regulatory environment, while conservative, has gradually evolved to accommodate corporate crypto adoption under clear compliance standards.
Institutional Bitcoin Treasury Infrastructure
Under the partnership, Animoca Brands Japan will localize and deploy Rootstock’s institutional program for the Japanese market. The focus is on enabling corporations to manage Bitcoin holdings while accessing programmable financial tools through Rootstock, a Bitcoin sidechain secured via merged mining by a majority of Bitcoin’s hash power.
Rootstock supports Ethereum-compatible smart contracts while inheriting Bitcoin’s base-layer security, positioning it as a bridge between conservative Bitcoin treasury use and more advanced onchain financial operations. Tools under consideration include Rootstock Bitcoin (rBTC), a Bitcoin-pegged asset used within Rootstock’s DeFi ecosystem, and the Rootstock Infrastructure Framework (RIF), a suite of protocols designed to support decentralized applications and financial services.
Animoca Brands Japan indicated that these capabilities may be offered through its Digital Asset Treasury Management Support Service, targeting compliance-first corporate users rather than retail participants. The approach reflects a broader institutional preference for controlled, auditable blockchain environments over open-ended DeFi experimentation.
Japan’s Corporate Bitcoin Landscape
Japan has emerged as one of Asia’s more active markets for corporate Bitcoin adoption, driven by long-term macro considerations rather than short-term trading activity. Publicly listed companies such as Metaplanet have accumulated substantial Bitcoin reserves, positioning the asset as a strategic hedge and alternative treasury instrument.
Beyond flagship adopters, firms including Nexon, Remixpoint, and Anap Holdings have also disclosed meaningful Bitcoin positions. This trend mirrors developments in the US and parts of Europe, where Bitcoin treasury strategies are increasingly viewed as part of broader capital allocation discussions.
Against this backdrop, the Animoca-RootstockLabs partnership positions Bitcoin DeFi as an extension of treasury infrastructure rather than a speculative layer. By emphasizing regulatory alignment and Bitcoin-native security, the initiative differentiates itself from Ethereum-centric DeFi platforms, which face greater scrutiny in some jurisdictions.
From a competitive standpoint, the move underscores rising interest in Bitcoin-based smart contract ecosystems as institutions seek yield, liquidity management, and operational efficiency without migrating away from Bitcoin exposure. As Japanese regulators continue refining digital asset oversight, demand for compliant, Bitcoin-secured financial tooling is likely to grow.