Ikuma Ueno

​Ikuma is the Chief Strategy Officer at AKIVERSE Inc., where he is at the forefront of a cutting-edge Web 3.0 metaverse business that provides entertainment using blockchain technology. He directs token listing, offering, marketing, and overall corporate strategy, and is a proponent of innovative tokenomics design. An early investor in crypto assets, Ikuma is also an incubator for Web3.0 businesses, helping them grow and succeed.

As a Partner at SGverse Pte. Ltd., Ikuma manages a fund that invests in next-generation technologies, primarily Web3.0 and crypto asset-based businesses. With full experience in crypto business since 2018, Ikuma worked as Business Development Manager at Cumberland, a DRW company focused on expanding Crypto OTC services specifically in Asia, and was at the forefront of an NFT GameFi Project that led the Play-to-Earn business to adopt globally.

Before joining DRW, Ikuma was a Senior Digital Strategist at Mizuho Financial Group, one of the largest financial conglomerates in Japan. He was in the planning division to focus on driving FinTech initiatives, especially in the area of blockchain and distributed ledger technology. As a primary participant of the r3 consortium, he was a resident advisor for the New York tech venture capital RRE Ventures.

Ikuma began his career at Mizuho Bank as an SME banker, offering lending and banking services. Later, he transferred to the Settlement and Clearing Services Division of Mizuho Corporate Bank to custody assets such as JGB, equity, SB of the largest foreign financial institutions.