Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings and blockchain infrastructure firm Startale Group have announced a strategic partnership to develop and launch JPYSC, a regulated Japanese yen-denominated stablecoin.
The initiative aims to provide a compliant, trust-based digital currency for institutional use and global settlements. The JPYSC token is expected to go live in the second quarter of 2026, leveraging Japan’s revised Payment Services Act to bypass the 1 million yen limit typically imposed on fund transfer providers.
🇯🇵 Startale Group and SBI Holdings introduce JPYSC, the first trust bank–backed JPY stablecoin issued by Shinsei Trust & Banking, with Startale Group building the technical foundation for regulated digital yen infrastructure.
Here’s what makes JPYSC a landmark moment 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/NcifsGY2uM
— JPYSC (@JPYStableCoin) February 27, 2026
Strategic infrastructure for the token economy
The JPYSC initiative represents a collaborative effort between SBI’s extensive financial network and Startale’s technical expertise. Under the agreement, Shinsei Trust & Banking, a subsidiary of SBI Shinsei Bank, will manage the issuance and redemption of the stablecoin, ensuring that reserves are held in a secure, regulated environment. SBI VC Trade will facilitate the circulation of JPYSC, providing a licensed platform for institutional and retail users to access the digital yen.
Startale Group, known for its work on the Astar Network and the Sony-backed Soneium blockchain, is responsible for the technical development of JPYSC. This includes the design of smart contracts, APIs, and the integration of security systems to ensure interoperability between traditional finance (TradFi) and on-chain ecosystems. The project aims to challenge the current dominance of US dollar-pegged stablecoins by offering a viable yen-based alternative for cross-border trade and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.
Alignment with Japanese regulatory shifts
The launch of JPYSC follows a series of regulatory advancements by Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA), which recently established a sandbox for blockchain payments. Unlike stablecoins issued by money transfer businesses, JPYSC is classified as a trust-type “Electronic Payment Instrument,” allowing it to handle high-value transactions without the restrictive remittance caps seen in earlier digital yen models.
In an “irreversible social trend” towards a token economy, as stated by SBI Holdings Chairman Yoshitaka Kitao, SBI Holdings and Startale Group have launched the Strium Network. This new Layer 1 blockchain is an institution-ready platform designed to consolidate tokenized securities and Real-World Assets (RWAs).
This launch is a major milestone in the partnership announced last August, with successful proofs of concept already demonstrating Strium’s fundamental capabilities in trading, settlement, and interoperability. This development follows earlier DeFi Planet reporting on the collaboration.
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