Startale Group and SBI Holdings have unveiled plans to launch JPYSC, described as Japan’s first trust bank-backed yen stablecoin, with a targeted rollout in the second quarter of 2026.
The companies said SBI Shinsei Trust Bank will act as issuer under Japan’s stablecoin regulatory framework, while SBI VC Trade will serve as the primary distribution partner and Startale will lead technical development, subject to regulatory approvals.
Japan is among the few major economies with a defined legal structure for stablecoin issuance, and JPYSC is designed to bridge traditional financial infrastructure and blockchain networks to support institutional and cross-border settlement use cases.
“The transition to a Token Economy is accelerating,”
Said Yoshitaka Kitao, chairman and president of SBI Holdings, adding that a domestically issued yen stablecoin could strengthen Japan’s role in digital financial services.
Startale chief executive Sota Watanabe said the initiative aims to support onchain payments and tokenised asset distributions, stating:
“Startale’s mission is to build the next civilisation by bringing the world onchain,”
And following the announcement the SBI Holdings share price was unchanged at $N/A.
The partners said institutional demand for programmable settlement rails is rising, particularly for treasury management and cross-border payments, and that a regulated yen-denominated alternative could diversify a stablecoin market currently dominated by US dollar-linked tokens.
They added that JPYSC is being developed with interoperability in mind to connect existing financial systems with blockchain networks without requiring institutions to overhaul core infrastructure, positioning the stablecoin as a compliant bridge between TradFi and decentralised ecosystems.