Bitbank, Inc. CEO Noriyuki Hirosue

2025.03.06

Crypto assets are the "Internet of Money"

CEO of Bitbank, Inc.　Noriyuki Hirosue(Hirosue Noriyuki)

■ Profile
He began his career at Nomura Securities, then became fascinated with the internet and was involved in the launch and management of IT startups for many years. He has served as Managing Director of GMO Internet, Inc., CEO of Gala Inc., and CEO of Comuca Inc. In 2012, he became convinced that cryptocurrency technology would become the internet of money, and founded Bitbank Inc. in 2014. With the aim of entering the digital asset trust business in 2022, he established Japan Digital Asset Trust Establishment Preparation Co., Ltd., and serves as its CEO.

Bitbank Inc., which operates the cryptocurrency exchange "bitbank" in the new cryptocurrency (virtual currency) industry, has earned the trust of many as a safe and secure cryptocurrency exchange. Founder Noriyuki Hirosue has continued to believe in the potential of cryptocurrencies and has driven the business forward. We spoke to Hirosue about his journey to discovering "Bitcoin," the secret behind his exchange's popularity with so many customers, and his future goals.

During my university days, I spent my time playing and participating in club activities rather than studying. Living that lifestyle, I began to aspire to become a businessman. And when I entered the workforce, I began to think that I would work harder than anyone else.

■ Always looking to the future...

I aspired to be a businessman and also had aspirations of starting my own business in the future. Financial knowledge was essential for starting a business, and the opportunity to gain exposure to a variety of businesses was what led me to choose the world of finance. I then joined Nomura Securities, considered the most competitive financial company at the time. My initial experience there was certainly a tough baptism of fire. Despite all that, I focused on my work and achieved the highest sales performance among my 500 classmates. However, the advent of the Internet prompted me to leave Nomura Securities. What I learned from working at a securities company was to consider how society and businesses would change in the future. It was while I was thinking about what the future held, as society as a whole was transitioning from an industrial society to an information society, that I discovered the Internet. It was at this time that I realized the widespread adoption of the Internet would become the center of the information society and dramatically change the structure of industry. I felt I needed to be at the heart of the Internet industry, so I joined GMO Internet (now GMO Internet Group, Inc.). At GMO, I was involved in the management of the company and even managed to get it listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. After that, I started a car sharing business, but due to the impact of the Lehman Shock, I sold the business. I am always thinking about what society will be like and how it will change in the future, and it was while I was searching for my next business that I came across Bitcoin.

■ Confidence in Bitcoin

At first, I didn't have a good impression of cryptocurrencies. However, I realized that if I didn't thoroughly understand each technology and its significance and potential, I would make the wrong business decisions, so I studied Bitcoin extensively. As I researched it, I came to believe that Bitcoin is the "Internet of Money." While the Internet allows for the distribution of information, it inherently allows for data eavesdropping and tampering. Before Bitcoin's creation, it was thought that data could not be circulated as money, since double spending was not permitted. What's amazing about Bitcoin is that it combines multiple technologies to solve the double spending problem, its biggest challenge, and can verify that transactions are authentic and unaltered data without the need for a trusted intermediary. When I realized this, I became convinced that with this technology, we could dramatically change the current financial structure, which currently requires a trusted intermediary, and founded our company in 2014. To put it simply, our current business is an exchange that matches people who want to buy and sell Bitcoin with those who want to buy and sell it.

■From amateur to professional

The key to surviving in this rapidly changing cryptocurrency industry is to avoid making fatal mistakes. In any new industry, everyone starts out as an amateur with low skills. This makes it easy to make mistakes. In our case, mistakes include data leaks and system outages due to hacking. As a result, companies that make mistakes fall behind one after another. As a result, companies that don't make mistakes win. In other words, it's not about winning by going for it, but rather winning relatively. It's a loser's game. That's why we're preparing our systems to absolutely prevent leaks and other incidents. To achieve this, we need to hire personnel with the technical skills and know-how and raise funds. I believe that our focus on preventing fatal mistakes has earned us the trust and continued support of many customers. However, as the market matures, everyone becomes a professional. Now it's time to go out and win. This is a winner's game. We've recently been strengthening our marketing activities, including television commercials. In business, good quality alone won't attract customers. I truly believe that both quality and marketing are important.

■ The future of Bitbank

The biggest change over the next 10 years will be the shift to an AI-driven society. I believe this will dramatically change the nature of industry and the way people work. As digital technologies surpass human capabilities, we may see a society in which all work is done by machines. From the perspective of cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrencies are perfectly suited for AI because they can be fully digital. I believe that when an AI-driven mechanized economy emerges, cryptocurrencies will be well-suited for payments between AIs. Therefore, I would like to consider a business specializing in AI agents. Currently, I do business with people and companies, but I would like to do business with AI. To ensure Bitbank's continued growth, I want to work with people who are honest and proactive. Having the right ethics and perspective is important. Furthermore, it would be even better if you also have technical skills and an interest in this industry.

■Message to university students

It's important to always aim to be number one in the field you're currently working in. I believe that by working hard at things with the aim of being number one, you will be able to open up the next stage. I believe that this process of striving to be number one will ultimately come together to create the continuous story of your life. I hope you will forge ahead on the path you believe in.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on October 4, 2024 by Maruyama Mitomo, a second-year student at International Christian University