GMO Coin
GMO Coin is a Tokyo-based FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange and forex trading platform, serving Japanese retail investors, active traders, and algorithmic trading clients with 26+ crypto pairs, FX margin trading, lending, staking, and multi-language APIs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What GMO Coin does
GMO Coin, Inc. (GMOコイン株式会社) is a Tokyo-based, FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange and foreign exchange trading platform, founded in October 2016 as a subsidiary of GMO Internet Group. The company operates under Cryptocurrency Exchange Operator Registration No. 00006 and Type I Financial Instruments Business Registration No. 3188, placing it among Japan's eight major regulated crypto exchanges. It supports 26+ cryptocurrency pairs against JPY including BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, SUI, and the recently launched Zipang Coin (ZPG/ZPGAG/ZPGPT) series, alongside 20+ forex currency pairs with up to 25x leverage.
The platform's product surface spans spot trading (販売所 and 取引所), leveraged crypto margin trading, recurring crypto savings plans from 500 JPY/month, crypto lending (Basic and Premium tiers), staking, and IEO participation. Distribution is delivered through a web platform (coin.z.com), iOS/Android mobile applications, an Apple Watch companion app, and a WebTrader terminal with TradingView-powered charting. A REST and WebSocket API ecosystem with SDKs in ten programming languages (Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Kotlin, C#, Rust, Haskell, Swift) serves algorithmic traders, with a 30-day free trial and tiered rate limits based on JPY trading volume.
Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees on crypto spot/leveraged trading and FX spread/commission, supplemented by lending and staking service margins. The GTM model is product-led and digital-first, targeting Japanese retail investors with a 100 JPY minimum investment threshold, while API distribution extends reach to algorithmic and enterprise traders globally. Marketing is concentrated on the official website, X (Twitter), and promotional campaigns. The company is active in Japan's FSA AML pilot program alongside Chainalysis, Nomura, Rakuten, and Bitbank, positioning for broader mainstream financial integration by 2028.
GMO Coin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GMO Coin
- Legal name
- GMO Coin, Inc. (GMOコイン株式会社)
- Website
- https://coin.z.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- GMO Coin is a Tokyo-based FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange and forex trading platform, serving Japanese retail investors, active traders, and algorithmic trading clients with 26+ crypto pairs, FX margin trading, lending, staking, and multi-language APIs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GMO Coin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cryptocurrency Exchange and Forex Trading Platform
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Asset/Crypto Trade Execution Platforms (FSAFANAO)
Keywords
Where GMO Coin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
GMO Coin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cryptocurrency Trading Fees: Transaction fees charged on cryptocurrency spot trading, leverage trading, and derivatives. Fee structures include maker fees (potentially negative/rebates) and taker fees ranging approximately 0.10% to 0.15% for spot trading based on market references.
- Foreign Exchange Trading Fees: Trading fees on FX transactions with commission-free trading noted for standard accounts, though API orders incur separate fees. Leveraged forex trading services with spread-based pricing.
- Crypto Lending and Staking: Crypto asset lending services (basic and premium tiers) and staking rewards generating income from lent assets and staking participation
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Spot trading with competitive fee structure |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | API 30-day free trial period |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 100 yen minimum investment for crypto |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | 500 JPY minimum for crypto savings plan |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
GMO Coin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GMO Coin operates a Japan-based, FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange and foreign exchange (forex) trading platform under the GMO Internet Group. The platform provides spot trading via OTC sales and order-book exchange, leveraged crypto margin trading, recurring crypto accumulation plans, crypto lending (Basic and Premium tiers), staking, and IEO services across 26+ cryptocurrency pairs, alongside a separate forex margin service covering 20+ currency pairs with up to 25x leverage. Customers access these services through a smartphone app, the WebTrader browser platform with TradingView charts, an Apple Watch app, and a comprehensive REST/WebSocket API ecosystem supporting ten programming languages.
Product overview
GMO Coin is a Japan-based FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange and forex trading platform operated by GMO Internet Group. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of trading services including cryptocurrency spot trading (販売所 and 取引所), leveraged trading (暗号資産FX), crypto savings plans (つみたて暗号資産), crypto lending (貸暗号資産 Basic/Premium), staking, and IEO services. The product ecosystem also includes a dedicated foreign exchange margin trading service (外国為替FX) with 20+ currency pairs. Trading is supported through multiple interfaces: a smartphone app, WebTrader browser platform with TradingView charts, Apple Watch app, and comprehensive REST/WebSocket APIs for both cryptocurrency and forex services. The platform supports 26+ cryptocurrency pairs and recently launched Zipang Coin series (ZPG, ZPGAG, ZPGPT) alongside established assets like BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, SUI, and WILD.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cryptocurrency Sales / OTC (販売所)
Quantifiable outcome
- 24/7 cryptocurrency and FX trading availability
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use GMO Coin
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
GMO Coin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
GMO Coin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- ChainalysiscoreGMO Coin participates in Japan's Financial Services Agency three-month pilot program alongside Chainalysis to combat crypto-powered money laundering. Chainalysis provides blockchain analysis and AML compliance technology for monitoring suspicious transactions across the crypto sector.
- NomuraflagshipNomura is actively involved in Japan's pilot program for broader crypto integration into the mainstream financial sector by 2028, with GMO Coin participating in this regulatory development initiative focused on AML compliance and crypto sector collaboration.
- RakutenflagshipRakuten participates in Japan's regulatory pilot program for crypto mainstream financial integration, collaborating with GMO Coin and other major crypto exchanges on AML information sharing and compliance frameworks.
- BitbankcoreBitbank collaborates with GMO Coin in Japan's FSA pilot program for crypto AML enforcement, sharing information on suspicious transactions and contributing to the development of private sector collaboration frameworks.
- GMO Internet GroupflagshipGMO Coin operates as a subsidiary of GMO Internet Group, leveraging the parent company's IT infrastructure, financial services expertise, and customer base for business development and cross-selling opportunities.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GMO Coin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rakuten Wallet: Cryptocurrency exchange subsidiary of Rakuten Group, FSA-licensed and offering spot crypto trading. Comparable as a subsidiary-led Japanese exchange with a strong parent-brand distribution channel, similar to GMO Coin's GMO Internet Group positioning.
- bitFlyer: Japan's largest FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange, offering spot trading, leveraged trading, and staking across a similar product set. Most directly comparable peer to GMO Coin given shared FSA licensing, Japanese retail focus, and overlapping crypto-asset pairs.
- Bitbank: Japan-based FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange offering spot trading, leveraged trading, and staking. Direct peer to GMO Coin and listed explicitly as a collaboration partner in the FSA AML pilot program.
- SBI VC Trade: FSA-licensed Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, subsidiary of SBI Group, offering spot trading and staking. Comparable in regulatory positioning, Japanese retail focus, and broad digital-asset coverage.
- Binance Japan: Japan operations of global crypto exchange Binance, one of the eight major FSA-licensed exchanges listed alongside GMO Coin. Directly competes on spot trading breadth, leveraged products, and Japanese retail customers.
- Bitget Japan: Japan operations of global derivatives-focused crypto exchange Bitget, listed among the eight major FSA-licensed exchanges. Directly competes with GMO Coin on leveraged trading and derivatives.
- Coincheck: Major Japan-based FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange, subsidiary of Monex Group. Competes head-to-head with GMO Coin on spot trading, leveraged trading, and staking for Japanese retail customers.
Broad incumbents
- Kraken: Global cryptocurrency exchange offering spot trading, staking, and leveraged products across multiple geographies. Broadly comparable to GMO Coin on product set but lacks the Japan-specific FSA licensing focus.
- Coinbase: Large publicly listed US-based cryptocurrency exchange offering spot trading, staking, and a comprehensive institutional and retail platform. Comparable as a full-service centralized crypto exchange with advanced APIs, though global in scope rather than Japan-focused.
Others
- GMO Click Securities: Sister company within GMO Internet Group offering Japanese FX margin trading and stock brokerage. Comparable as an in-group financial-services peer sharing corporate infrastructure and customer base with GMO Coin.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GMO Coin social profiles
Digital presenceGMO Coin compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
GMO Coin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GMO Coin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
GMO Coin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GMO Coin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GMO Coin
What does GMO Coin do?
GMO Coin operates a Japan-based, FSA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange and foreign exchange (forex) trading platform under the GMO Internet Group. The platform provides spot trading via OTC sales and order-book exchange, leveraged crypto margin trading, recurring crypto accumulation plans, crypto lending (Basic and Premium tiers), staking, and IEO services across 26+ cryptocurrency pairs, alongside a separate forex margin service covering 20+ currency pairs with up to 25x leverage. Customers access these services through a smartphone app, the WebTrader browser platform with TradingView charts, an Apple Watch app, and a comprehensive REST/WebSocket API ecosystem supporting ten programming languages.
Is GMO Coin a public or private company?
GMO Coin is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was GMO Coin founded?
GMO Coin was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is GMO Coin based?
GMO Coin is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does GMO Coin make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cryptocurrency Trading Fees are the primary driver. The others are foreign Exchange Trading Fees and crypto Lending and Staking.
Who are GMO Coin's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rakuten Wallet, bitFlyer, Bitbank, SBI VC Trade, Binance Japan, Bitget Japan and Coincheck. Broad incumbents are Kraken and Coinbase. GMO Click Securities is listed as an others.
Does GMO Coin have an API?
Yes. GMO Coin provides Public and Private REST APIs for cryptocurrency trading, market data, and account management. Public API offers exchange status, ticker data, order books, trade history, K-line data, and historical trade data (CSV download). Private API enables account operations including margin info, order placement/cancellation, execution history, position management, asset transfers between crypto and FX accounts, and account deposit/withdrawal history. Both cryptocurrency (api.coin.z.com) and foreign exchange (forex-api.coin.z.com) APIs are available with WebSocket support for real-time ticker, order book, and trade data streams. Rate limits apply: Tier 1 (trading volume < 1B JPY) allows 20 req/s; Tier 2 (trading volume >= 1B JPY) allows 30 req/s. Developer documentation is at api.coin.z.com/docs.
What industry is GMO Coin in?
GMO Coin's product category is Cryptocurrency Exchange and Forex Trading Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAFANAO, Digital Asset/Crypto Trade Execution Platforms. Its NAICS code is 523210 and its SIC code is 6200.