Taro Hirano

TradeStation Group, Inc. through its principal operating subsidiaries, TradeStation Securities, Inc. and TradeStation Forex, Inc. offers the TradeStation analysis and trading platform to the active trader and certain institutional trader markets. The TradeStation platform offers state-of-the-art electronic order execution and enables clients to design, test, optimize, monitor and automate their own custom Equities, Options, Futures and Forex trading strategies. TradeStation Securities, Inc. (Member NYSE, FINRA, SIPC, NSCC, DTC, OCC & NFA) is a licensed securities broker-dealer and a registered futures commission merchant, and also a member of the Boston Options Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Chicago Stock Exchange, International Securities Exchange and NASDAQ OMX. Its TradeStation Prime Services division, based in New York, seeks to provide prime brokerage services, including securities lending, to small and mid-sized hedge funds and other firms. TradeStation Forex, Inc. (Member NFA) is a Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer (RFED) that exclusively provides the company’s forex brokerage offering. The company’s technology subsidiary, TradeStation Technologies, Inc. develops and offers strategy trading software tools and subscription services. Its London-based subsidiary, TradeStation Europe Limited, an FSA-authorized brokerage firm, introduces UK and other European accounts to TradeStation Securities, Inc. and TradeStation Forex, Inc. TradeStation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Monex Group, one of the largest online financial services providers in Japan. Monex Group acquired TradeStation in June 2011 as an important step in achieving its goal to become a leading global integrated online financial services group.

Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc. provides securities exchange services. The company also provides securities that support fund management and capital raising for users both at home and abroad. It has offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in April 1949 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Monex, Inc. (Monex) is the brokerage subsidiary of Monex Group, Inc. (TSE: 8698, ADR: MNXBY) in Japan. The firm was established jointly by Oki Matsumoto and Sony Corporation in 1999 and merged with Nikko Beans, Inc. in 2005 to form Monex Beans, Inc. Later that year, Monex Beans, Inc. changed their name to Monex, Inc. Based in Tokyo, “MoneX” stands for the future of finance, one step ahead of “MoneY” and aims to be a global technology-based retail financial service provider of financial services and liberal access to capital markets.

Sawakami Asset Management, Inc. (SAMI) is the investment management subsidiary of Sawakami Holdings, Inc. in Japan. Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm was founded by Atsuto Sawakami in 1996. SAMI manages the Sawakami Fund, which they market themselves on the internet and through direct contacts established on conference tours. Their clients are Japanese residents only. In line with their cost-conscious culture, the firm avoids distribution channels and the associated fees. The firm pioneered the no-load approach in Japan.

Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd. (GSJCL) is the Japan-based broker-dealer subsidiary of Goldman Sachs (Japan) Ltd., ultimately held by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) in the US. The firm originated in 1974 and was formally founded in 1983. Headquartered in Tokyo, GSJCL offers Internet-based transaction services covering equity, debt, commodities and derivatives to a substantial and diversified client base, which includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net worth individuals.

Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. provides and disseminates ideas on foreign policies to individuals, corporate members, journalists and policy makers. It operates a forum for government officials, students and other interested parties to study and discuss world issues and impact on American foreign policies. The company publishes Foreign Affairs, a magazine that comes out six times a year, along with books and studies by its own scholars. Council on Foreign Relations was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in New York City, NY.

Mastercard International, Inc. provides credit card services. It provides access to round-trip bill payment and presentment for industry providers. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Purchase, NY.

The Japan Securities Dealers Association operates as its name suggests, serving as an association for securities dealers in Japan. The non-profit company is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Human Rights Watch is one of the world's leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, they give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Their rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse. For 30 years, Human Rights Watch has worked tenaciously to lay the legal and moral groundwork for deep-rooted change and has fought to bring greater justice and security to people around the world.

The International House of Japan, Inc. was founded in 1952 and operates as a foundation that supports cultural exchanges. The non-profit company is based in Minato-ku, Japan.

ToposWare, Inc is a research and American engineering company that focuses on building disruptive technology for a trustless, connected future. The company is based in a remote-first location, with satellite offices across the USA. The company takes a collaborative, academic approach to innovating and engineering infrastructure, protocol standards, and products to enable inclusive value creation within a future. ToposWare is committed to solving the hardest problems in cryptography and distributed systems to advance novel open internet standards. The team is composed of a group of passionate computer scientists, cryptographers, and engineers from all over the world with backgrounds including CERN, Google, Meta, University of Oxford, École Normale Supérieure, Telecom, and UCL. ToposWare is creating the technical groundwork for a new standard for web3 while solving some of the hardest problems in cryptography and distributed systems. The company was founded in 2019 by Theo Gauthier, who has been the CEO since 2019.

Coincheck, Inc. engages in the operation of bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange site. It offers 24/7 buying and selling of Bitcoin and provides overseas remittance.The company was founded by Yusuke Otsuka and James Riney on August 28, 2012 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.