Sony Bank, the online lending arm of Sony Financial Group, is reportedly gearing up to launch a U.S. dollar–pegged stablecoin aimed at enabling crypto payments across the broader Sony ecosystem.
According to a Monday report from Nikkei, Sony plans to roll out the stablecoin in 2026, allowing U.S. customers to pay for PlayStation games, subscriptions, and anime content using the new digital asset. The token would complement existing payment methods like credit cards while helping Sony reduce fees paid to card networks.
The company is positioning the U.S. market — which accounts for around 30% of Sony Group’s external sales — as the launchpad for the initiative. To support the rollout, Sony Bank filed for a U.S. banking license in October to establish a subsidiary focused on stablecoin operations and has partnered with American stablecoin issuer Bastion. Sony’s venture arm also participated in Bastion’s $14.6 million funding round led by Coinbase Ventures.
Sony Bank’s stablecoin ambitions align with its broader Web3 strategy. The bank created a dedicated Web3 division in June and emphasized in May that blockchain-powered digital assets are becoming central to emerging business models. Wallets for NFTs and crypto, as well as exchange services, are increasingly vital components of the financial services landscape, the company noted.
Sony Bank’s Web3 division — now called BlockBloom — is focused on creating an ecosystem that connects fans, artists, NFTs, and both digital and real-world experiences, while supporting payments in fiat and digital currencies.
The stablecoin initiative comes on the heels of a major corporate shift: Sony Financial Group was officially spun off from Sony Group and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in September. The separation was designed to give the financial arm more autonomy, allowing both entities to streamline their strategies and operate with greater clarity.
Cointelegraph contacted Sony Bank for comment on its potential U.S. stablecoin launch, but the bank had not responded by the time of publication.
