Japan’s clear regulation gives its banks an edge in global settlement.
SBI Shinsei Bank will issue a digital currency for corporate clients in fiscal 2026, becoming the first Japanese bank to join JPMorgan Chase’s blockchain-based Partior network.
Nikkei reported that the move aims to deliver near-instant international transfers at significantly lower cost than today’s systems.
Last year, the Financial Stability Board said that sending $200 abroad carried an average global fee of 6.4 percent. Current cross-border payments can take days to settle and involve multiple correspondent banks. By contrast, Partior completed a US-Singapore dollar interbank transfer in two minutes. SBI Shinsei’s participation will allow Japanese companies to access faster and cheaper international transactions around the clock.
The bank will issue DCJPY, a digital yen developed by DeCurret DCP under the Internet Initiative Japan group. Clients can convert deposits into DCJPY at a one-to-one rate with the yen and redeem balances back into cash through linked accounts.
Unlike stablecoins, which can fluctuate slightly in value, tokenized deposits remain fixed at 1 yen. The Financial Services Agency clarified under the revised Payment Services Act that only licensed banks may issue deposit tokens on permissioned blockchains. This ensures regulatory oversight while simplifying corporate accounting and settlements.
Japan Post Bank, the country’s largest deposit holder, has also announced plans to adopt DCJPY in 2026 for securities settlement. With 120 million accounts and more than $1.3 trillion in deposits, its adoption could greatly expand the digital yen ecosystem. The Bank of Japan’s Digital Money Forum noted that deposit tokens like DCJPY may complement stablecoins and central bank digital currencies.
According to Nikkei, SBI executives said DCJPY would allow the bank to provide corporate clients with “faster and cheaper international transfers,” enhancing competitiveness in cross-border settlement.
Beyond Shinsei Bank’s initiative, SBI Holdings is pursuing wider digital finance projects. The group is developing a blockchain-based stock tokenization platform with Singapore startup StarTail, aiming for launch by 2026 or 2027. The system may expand to bonds and ETFs, cutting fees and improving global access to Japanese securities.
SBI has also entered the stablecoin market. In August, its exchange arm, SBI VC Trade, signed an agreement with Ripple to distribute the RLUSD stablecoin in Japan from 2026. Dollar deposits and government bonds will back RLUSD with monthly attestations from independent auditors. The rollout follows SBI’s approval to distribute USDC in 2025.
Cross-border payments have long relied on SWIFT, which is costly and slow. The FSB has urged improvements, citing high fees and long settlement times. Blockchain networks like Partior seek to solve these inefficiencies by enabling real-time, low-cost transactions.
International banks are already on board. DBS and Standard Chartered participate in Partior, and lenders across Europe, Korea, and the Middle East prepare to join. The Bank for International Settlements has argued that tokenized deposits, stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies will coexist.
For Japan, SBI Shinsei’s adoption of DCJPY highlights a unique strength: precise regulation. By embedding digital yen tokens into a global payments network, Japan can offer compliant, stable, and low-cost settlement rails — an advantage that positions its banks to compete internationally while safeguarding financial sovereignty.
