Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings has partnered with blockchain infrastructure firm Startale Group to create an onchain trading platform designed for tokenized stocks and real-world assets, the companies said Tuesday.
The venture will combine SBI’s financial services network with Startale’s blockchain technology to address gaps in existing tokenized stock offerings, according to a joint statement. The platform will support 24/7 trading, faster cross-border settlements and fractional ownership of tokenized shares, while also linking assets to decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.
Additional features will include institutional-grade custody, account abstraction, and compliance monitoring across international jurisdictions. To deliver the project, SBI and Startale will set up two joint venture entities: one focused on technology development, the other on branding and business expansion.
“We believe the tokenized stock revolution is the largest opportunity, and onchain trading is the next frontier,” said Sota Watanabe, founder of Startale Group. “Traditional markets remain closed around 70% of the time, but our platform will enable continuous, programmable trading of tokenized stocks, including U.S. and Japanese equities.”
The companies did not provide a launch date.
The announcement comes amid rapid institutional interest in tokenization. A joint report by Ripple and Boston Consulting Group projects the tokenized asset market could grow to $18.9 trillion by 2033.
SBI Holdings, Japan’s largest online brokerage, manages more than ¥11 trillion ($76 billion) in client assets and has been a pioneer in digital finance. The company operates SBI VC Trade, one of Japan’s licensed crypto exchanges, and in 2021 acquired crypto trading platform TaoTao. It has also issued multiple security tokens domestically under Japan’s amended Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, making it one of the first Japanese megabanks to integrate blockchain-based securities offerings.
Startale Group, founded in 2022 by Sota Watanabe, is best known for developing infrastructure for Astar Network, Japan’s largest public blockchain. Watanabe previously worked on Polkadot ecosystem projects and has been a prominent voice in Japan’s Web3 policy initiatives. In 2023, Sony Network Communications invested in Startale to co-develop blockchain services, strengthening its corporate ties.
In recent weeks, Robinhood tapped the Arbitrum network to roll out tokenized stocks, while Kraken expanded its xStocks product to the Tron blockchain.
The SBI-Startale partnership follows Japan’s broader push into tokenization. The Financial Services Agency (FSA) approved security token offerings (STOs) in 2021, and Nomura, MUFG, and Sumitomo Mitsui have all launched pilots for tokenized bonds and funds. MUFG’s Progmat platform alone targets trillions of yen in tokenized issuance, highlighting growing competition in Japan’s regulated digital securities market.
