The launch expands regulated USD stablecoin availability in Japan, with an emphasis on payments, cross-border settlement, and global liquidity.
After Japan’s 2022 amendment to its payments law created the stablecoin framework, a regulated Japanese digital-asset exchange, SBI VC Trade, has expanded its payment-instrument offering, announcing on 25 June 2026 that it had expanded its payment-instrument offering with another USD-denominated stablecoin.
For the exchange firm, which holds a first-mover stablecoin distribution role in Japan, the business need was not simply adding another crypto asset. It needed a compliant way to provide Japanese institutional and retail users with access to a US dollar-denominated digital payment instrument that fit Japan’s regulatory framework (under Japan’s Payment Services Act [2022]) and could support cross-border settlement, tokenization, and collateral-related use cases.
The challenge was that foreign-issued stablecoins must meet Japan’s regulatory classification and handling requirements before local distribution. To address that, the firm used a regulated distribution model built on:
- Already-granted approval to handle a foreign-issued electronic payment instrument under the amended Japan’s Payment Services Act
- Distribution to institutional and retail users through a licensed local exchange
- Compliance controls for safe and lawful stablecoin handling
- Support for payments, tokenization, and collateral management tied to global liquidity access
The rollout underscores how regulated exchange access, prior stablecoin licensing, and cross-border compliance now shape who can bring foreign-issued digital payment instruments to market in Japan.
Tomohiko Kondo, CEO, SBI VC Trade, said the launch reflects a long-running effort for “advancing the future of on-chain finance,” and that the firm plans to broaden services and use cases around the stablecoin “that deliver greater value to our customers and the broader market.”
According to Jack McDonald, Senior Vice President of Stablecoins, Ripple, the strategic partner and technology vendor in the project, the rollout expands access in Japan to a regulated US dollar stablecoin, and “will serve as a bridge for payments, tokenization and collateral management, connecting Japanese businesses and individuals more efficiently to global liquidity.”
