Japanese game developer Gumi will begin operating a 3 billion yen crypto asset fund on Saturday in partnership with SBI Financial Services. The vehicle has additional backing from Daiwa Securities Group and other investors and is valued at about $18.3 million.

The fund is managed by SBI Crypto Fund, a joint venture in which SBI Financial Services holds a 51 percent stake and Gumi subsidiary gC Labs holds 49 percent. It will focus primarily on Bitcoin and major alternative cryptocurrencies. Investment approaches include staking, portfolio rebalancing and hedging strategies.

Gumi aims to connect Japan’s corporate sector with the cryptocurrency market through the fund. The company also seeks to establish an operational record ahead of any potential removal of Japan’s ban on crypto exchange-traded funds.

The initiative expands Gumi’s existing cryptocurrency activities. These include management of its own holdings, which are centered on XRP, portfolio services offered through Hinode Technologies and other crypto investment funds.

Crypto assets have grown into a substantial portion of Gumi’s balance sheet. As of April 30 the company held 14.13 billion yen in such assets, nearly double the 7.58 billion yen recorded a year earlier.