Startale Group and SBI Holdings to Launch Fully Regulated Digital Ye

Quick Breakdown 

• Startale and SBI Holdings will develop a compliant, yen-denominated stablecoin for cross-border and enterprise-grade payments.
• Stablecoinis structured as a Type 3 Electronic Payment Instrument, enabling on-chain settlements and removing domestic remittance limits.
• Partnership combines blockchain innovation with institutional oversight, positioning Japan as a leader in regulated digital assets.

Startale Group and Japan’s SBI Holdings have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly develop a fully regulated Japanese yen-denominated stablecoin. The initiative aims to meet growing international demand for digital yen and support global blockchain-based financial use cases. The project is expected to launch in Q2 2026, following the establishment of necessary compliance and regulatory frameworks.

Startale Group and SBI Holdings partner to develop a fully compliant Yen stablecoin for the global market.

— Startale 💿 (@StartaleGroup) December 16, 2025

Building a compliant digital Yen

The partnership combines Startale’s blockchain expertise with SBI’s regulatory leadership and financial infrastructure. Startale will lead technology development, including smart contracts, API design, and security systems, while SBI will manage compliance, issuance, and distribution. Shinsei Trust & Banking will serve as the trust bank for issuance and redemption, and SBI VC Trade will facilitate circulation as a licensed Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider.

The stablecoin is designed as a trust-based Type 3 Electronic Payment Instrument, which removes domestic remittance and fund balance limits in Japan. This structure will enable cross-border transactions, enterprise-grade settlements, and onchain payments while promoting interoperability between traditional finance and blockchain-based systems.

Advancing global on-chain finance

Yoshitaka Kitao, Chairman and President of SBI Holdings, emphasized the project’s potential to accelerate the adoption of digital financial services integrated with traditional banking. Startale CEO Sota Watanabe highlighted the stablecoin’s role in enabling payments between AI agents and supporting tokenized asset distributions, signalling a broader vision for a fully onchain economy.

Japan’s regulatory framework for fiat-backed stablecoins provides a foundation for compliant, globally accessible digital currency. By combining blockchain innovation with institutional financial oversight, the Startale–SBI partnership aims to position Japan as a leader in regulated digital assets, creating a secure, efficient, and inclusive financial ecosystem for both domestic and international markets.

Additionally, SBI Group has partnered with Chainlink to expand blockchain and crypto-powered solutions for global financial markets, reinforcing its commitment to innovation in digital finance. The collaboration will focus on tokenized real-world assets, tokenized funds, and regulated stablecoins.