Investor Doubt Casts Uncertainty Over Japan’s Bet on Crypto Rebound

Japan's financial landscape drew significant attention in late September 2025 when the Nikkei 225 briefly surpassed the 45,000 mark for the first time, buoyed by robust gains in U.S. tech stocks and persistent enthusiasm for domestic AI and semiconductor industries. Despite this upward trend, Ureru Net Ad Group (TSE:9235) faced a stark contrast as its share price tumbled by 11.7% following news of a new Bitcoin-oriented subsidiary,

Savior Co.

This subsidiary, slated to commence operations in December 2025, plans to focus on digital asset retrieval, offering support to individuals and businesses seeking to recover lost or inaccessible crypto wallets and blockchain assets. According to Ureru Net Ad, Bitcoin Savior will provide around-the-clock online assistance and will collect a 40% success fee from assets successfully retrieved. The company pointed out that roughly 3.7 million Bitcoins—worth nearly 60 trillion yen—are currently inaccessible due to forgotten credentials or lost private keys. This move marks the debut of a publicly traded Japanese company in the digital asset recovery sector.

Although the initiative is seen as strategically important, market analysts observed that investors responded with caution, placing greater emphasis on short-term profitability rather than the long-term prospects of the crypto sector. While Ureru’s stock initially climbed after the announcement, it quickly reversed as investors took profits and worried about the immediate effects of the new venture. Other crypto-related stocks listed in Japan, like Ceres (3696) and Metaplanet (3350), posted moderate increases, whereas Eole (2334) jumped 16.10% due to factors unique to the company.

Ureru Net Ad’s overall financial health also drew attention. The group posted a net loss of 394 million yen in the second quarter of its fiscal year ending July 2025, a significant deterioration from the prior period’s 73 million yen deficit. The company’s annual outlook was also downgraded, shifting from a projected profit to an anticipated net loss of 394 million yen. This disappointing financial performance, coupled with the lukewarm reception to its crypto initiative, heightened investor concerns about short-term profitability and capital deployment.

Conversely, the Nikkei 225’s rally on September 16 was underpinned by a global surge in technology investing. Momentum from strong U.S. AI and semiconductor stocks spilled over into Tokyo, where investors eagerly sought tech-driven opportunities. The index ended the day at 44,902.27, marking a 0.30% increase. Analysts credited the gains to sustained investments in AI, semiconductor technology, and automation, which have outshone more traditional sectors in Japan in recent quarters.

Although Japan’s semiconductor sector has seen its global share decline from nearly 50% in the 1980s to about 9% today, it continues to play a pivotal role worldwide. Japanese companies remain leaders in materials, equipment, and specialized chips for industrial and automotive uses. The government has committed over $70 billion to foster semiconductor and AI advancements through 2030, including support for Rapidus, a government-backed chipmaker targeting 2nm chip production by 2027. As the industry expands, Japan is carving out a key position in the next wave of chip development.

In conclusion, Japan’s stock market maintains a positive outlook for technology-driven expansion, while Ureru Net Ad’s move into crypto asset recovery underscores the sector’s unpredictability. With Bitcoin Savior seeking to address an emerging need for crypto asset recovery, the initiative’s long-term effects on Ureru Net Ad’s financial results are yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the Nikkei 225 continues to reflect optimism in global AI and semiconductor growth, bolstering confidence in Japan’s evolving technology sector.