Japan Strengthens Lead in Regulated Crypto Infrastructure
Japan is accelerating its push to integrate digital assets into mainstream finance as SBI Holdings expands its dominance in the domestic crypto market, Ripple launches its RLUSD stablecoin, and Circle teams up with Nomura to bring USDC-based settlements to Japanese businesses.
Summary:
- SBI will acquire Bitbank in a ¥46.7 billion deal, creating Japan’s largest crypto exchange group.
- Ripple officially launched RLUSD in Japan through SBI VC Trade following regulatory approval.
- Circle and Nomura plan to introduce USDC settlement services for Japanese corporates by 2027.
The developments underscore Japan’s ambition to become one of the world’s leading regulated digital asset markets following the implementation of new stablecoin rules earlier this month. Together, they signal growing institutional adoption across cryptocurrency trading, payments and tokenized finance.
SBI Builds Japan’s Largest Crypto Exchange
According to Market Screener, SBI Holdings has agreed to acquire crypto exchange Bitbank in a transaction valued at approximately ¥46.7 billion ($288 million), further consolidating Japan’s digital asset industry.
Once completed, Bitbank will join SBI VC Trade, giving the group approximately 2.92 million customer accounts and roughly ¥1.1 trillion ($6.8 billion) in customer crypto assets under management. The combination is expected to establish SBI as Japan’s largest cryptocurrency exchange operator.
SBI plans to begin acquiring shares from Bitbank’s founders and individual investors in August, while Bitbank intends to repurchase holdings owned by corporate shareholders MIXI and Ceres by October.
The acquisition follows SBI’s integration of BITPoint Japan earlier this year and reflects the company’s broader strategy of building a fully regulated digital asset ecosystem spanning trading, custody, stablecoins and tokenized securities.
Ripple Brings RLUSD to Japan
Ripple has officially launched its U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin RLUSD in Japan after receiving approval under the country’s updated digital asset framework.
The Japan Financial Services Agency classified RLUSD as a Type 4 electronic payment instrument, allowing distribution through SBI VC Trade under Japan’s revised Payment Services Act.
Initially, RLUSD will operate exclusively on Ethereum and carry a ¥1 million transaction limit for individual transfers. The stablecoin targets cross-border payments, collateral management and tokenized asset settlement while benefiting from Ripple’s longstanding partnership with SBI Group.
The launch follows regulatory reforms that took effect on June 1, creating a legal framework for foreign-issued, fiat-backed stablecoins operating under strict reserve and compliance requirements.
Circle and Nomura Expand Stablecoin Infrastructure
Japan’s stablecoin ecosystem continues to broaden beyond domestic issuers.
Circle and Nomura have announced plans to launch USDC-based settlement services by 2027, targeting Japanese corporations seeking faster foreign exchange settlement and cross-border payments.
The platform will enable businesses to conduct transactions around the clock using blockchain infrastructure rather than relying on traditional banking hours.
READ MORE: ICE and OKX Launch Venture to Bring Tokenized Markets Onshore
The initiative represents one of the first large-scale efforts to integrate a global dollar stablecoin into Japan’s corporate payments sector and reflects growing institutional demand for programmable settlement infrastructure.
Japan Tightens Regulation While Encouraging Innovation
The recent announcements build on sweeping regulatory reforms that position Japan among the world’s most comprehensive digital asset jurisdictions.
Under the revised Payment Services Act, foreign-issued stablecoins can operate through licensed domestic intermediaries provided they satisfy strict reserve, anti-money laundering and consumer protection requirements.
The framework has encouraged major financial institutions to accelerate blockchain initiatives. Alongside RLUSD, SBI recently launched its own trust bank-backed stablecoin, JPYSC, while Japan’s largest banking groups continue developing a shared yen-backed stablecoin expected to launch in 2027.
The Financial Services Agency has maintained a cautious approach by requiring local distribution partners and imposing transaction limits for certain retail stablecoin transfers while allowing broader institutional applications.
Traditional Finance Moves Further On-Chain
Taken together, the announcements highlight Japan’s strategy of integrating blockchain infrastructure into traditional financial services rather than treating digital assets as a separate market.
SBI is expanding exchange infrastructure through consolidation, Ripple is introducing regulated dollar settlement, and Circle and Nomura are targeting corporate payments with USDC.
The combination positions Japan as one of the first major economies where regulated exchanges, bank-backed stablecoins, foreign-issued stablecoins and institutional payment networks are developing simultaneously under a unified regulatory framework.
As tokenization and stablecoin adoption accelerate globally, Japan’s approach increasingly serves as a model for how traditional financial institutions can integrate blockchain technology within an established regulatory environment.
The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or trading advice. Coinspress.com does not promote or advocate for any particular investment strategy, asset, or cryptocurrency project. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and unpredictable – always perform your own research and seek guidance from a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coinspress and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
