SBI·Startale begin development of yen stablecoin…targeting launch in Q2 2026

Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings and Startale Group, a web3 company joint venture of Sony and the Astar Foundation, have begun developing a yen-based stablecoin and are aiming for a launch in the second quarter of next year.

According to Cointelegraph on the 16th (local time), the issuance and redemption of the stablecoin in this project will be handled by Shinsei Trust & Banking, a 100% subsidiary of SBI. Distribution will be supported by SBI VC Trade, a licensed crypto asset trading service provider.

Yoshitaka Kitao, chairman and CEO of SBI Holdings, said, "Issuing a yen stablecoin with Startale will be a key foundation for Japan's transition to a token economy," and added, "By distributing it not only domestically but also in global markets, we will accelerate the provision of digital financial services fully integrated with traditional finance."

The stablecoin will be designed to comply with Japan's financial regulatory framework and is expected to be used as a means to connect real-world finance and digital assets, such as for tokenized asset payments and cross-border settlement. The structure, in which trust banks and virtual asset operators in Japan participate simultaneously, has also attracted attention as a case of combining regulated finance and web3.

The two companies plan to launch the stablecoin in the second quarter of 2026 after obtaining the necessary permits and establishing a compliance framework. Specific issuance structures and scopes of use will also be disclosed gradually depending on the regulatory approval schedule.