Startale and SBI Holdings to Launch JPYSC, Japan’s First Trust Bank-Backed Yen Stablecoin

Startale Group and SBI Holdings introduced JPYSC, a trust bank-backed Japanese yen stablecoin targeting a second-quarter 2026 launch under Japan’s regulatory framework.

Q2 2026 Launch Planned for Yen-Denominated Stablecoin JPYSC

This week, Startale Group and SBI Holdings Inc. unveiled plans for JPYSC, describing it as the first trust bank-backed yen stablecoin issued under Japan’s legal framework for stablecoins, with SBI Shinsei Trust Bank serving as issuer. The companies said the project is aimed at institutional and cross-border use cases as competition in regulated digital currencies intensifies globally.

According to the announcement shared with Bitcoin.com News, SBI VC Trade will act as the primary distribution partner, while Startale Group will lead technical development. The launch remains subject to required regulatory approvals and is currently targeted for the second quarter of 2026.

Japan is among the few major economies with a defined legal structure for stablecoin issuance, establishing operational roles and oversight requirements for financial institutions. Within that framework, JPYSC is designed to function across traditional financial (TradFi) systems and blockchain networks, positioning the yen for broader use in digital settlement infrastructure.

The companies said institutional interest in stablecoins as programmable settlement rails is increasing, particularly for operational payments, treasury management, and cross-border transactions. They added that a regulated yen-denominated alternative could expand the role of Japan’s currency in digital finance, which is currently dominated by U.S. dollar-based stablecoins.

In the announcement release, the partners emphasized that a trust bank-backed issuance model and institutional-grade compliance structure are intended to meet enterprise risk and governance standards. The initiative is also being developed for interoperability, allowing connectivity between existing financial infrastructure and blockchain networks without requiring institutions to rebuild core systems.

Yoshitaka Kitao, representative director, chairman, and president of SBI Holdings, said the transition to a “Token Economy” is accelerating and that circulating a yen-denominated stablecoin domestically and globally could support digital financial services integrated with traditional finance.

Startale CEO Sota Watanabe said the stablecoin is intended to support onchain payments and future tokenized asset distributions, including transactions between AI agents.

“Startale’s mission is to build the next civilization by bringing the world onchain,” Watanabe explained. The Startale executive added:

“In particular, we see enormous potential in enabling payments between AI agents and powering distributions for tokenized assets, both of which will soon become reality.”

FAQ 🔎

• What is JPYSC? JPYSC is a trust bank-backed Japanese yen stablecoin introduced by Startale Group and SBI Holdings for institutional and cross-border use.
• Who is issuing the yen stablecoin? SBI Shinsei Trust Bank will issue JPYSC under Japan’s regulated stablecoin framework.
• When will JPYSC launch? The companies are targeting a second-quarter 2026 launch, pending regulatory approvals.
• What is JPYSC designed for? The stablecoin is intended for operational payments, treasury management and cross-border digital settlement.