The project will seek to create a compliant digital yen under Japan’s financial regulations, structured as a trust-based Type 3 Electronic Payment Instrument.
SBI Holdings said this framework would not be subject to Japan’s JPY1 million limit on domestic remittances and fund balances, positioning the stablecoin for broader use cases.
The partners plan to combine Startale’s blockchain technology and product expertise with SBI’s financial infrastructure and regulatory capabilities.
The stablecoin is intended to support cross-border payments, enterprise-grade settlement and onchain transactions, while improving interoperability between traditional financial institutions and digital finance.
Technology development, including smart contracts, APIs, security and compliance systems, will be led by Startale.
The SBI Group will oversee regulatory compliance and distribution, with Shinsei Trust & Banking responsible for issuance and redemption and SBI VC Trade facilitating circulation as a licensed crypto asset exchange service provider. The companies are targeting a launch in the first quarter of the 2026 financial year.
Yoshitaka Kitao, chairman and president of SBI Holdings, said the transition towards a tokenised economy was “now an irreversible societal trend”, adding that the partnership would help accelerate digital financial services integrated with traditional finance.
Sota Watanabe, chief executive of Startale Group, believes the yen stablecoin will play “a central role in a fully on-chain world”, with potential applications ranging from everyday payments to tokenised assets and AI-driven transactions.
