SBI Holdings is deepening its crypto involvement on multiple fronts this week. The Japanese financial giant announced a strategic partnership with the Solana Foundation on July 13 to develop an onchain financial market based in Japan, while reports reveal it is also preparing to launch a lending product that pays a 3% annual yield on its JPYSC stablecoin.
Under the partnership, Solana Foundation will join SBI R3 Japan — a venture with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group — which will be renamed SBI Solana Global, subject to regulatory approval. The entity will use Solana as its main blockchain infrastructure to support the issuance and distribution of yen stablecoins, including JPYSC, and tokenize real-world assets such as corporate bonds, commercial paper, investment funds, and real estate. The partners aim to connect Japan’s regulated financial system with global blockchain liquidity, targeting cross-border payments, institutional onchain services, and even payment rails for AI agents. However, no launch dates or user numbers have been disclosed.
In parallel, media outlet Nikkei reported that SBI plans to introduce a lending service for JPYSC through its crypto exchange, SBI VC Trade, as early as this month. The product will lock users’ stablecoin holdings for a fixed three-month term while paying a 3% annual yield. JPYSC, issued by SBI Shinsei Trust Bank under Japan’s trust bank framework, was launched in February by SBI Holdings and Startale Group, offering a 1:1 yen-backed instrument designed for payments, treasury management, and tokenized asset settlement. The addition of yield comes weeks after the stablecoin’s debut, adding utility and potentially attracting more retail and institutional capital.
These moves follow a series of bold steps by SBI: it became the sole investor in Gauntlet’s $125 million Series C, backed EDX Markets with $76 million, and is acquiring Japanese crypto exchange Bitbank for nearly ¥46.7 billion (around $289 million). The Solana partnership and stablecoin lending further cement SBI’s ambition to become a dominant player in regulated digital assets across Asia.
The developments also reflect growing stablecoin momentum in Japan. Convenience store chain Lawson has started a trial with JPYC stablecoin payments, and the country’s top three banks — MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho — plan live commercial transactions using a jointly issued stablecoin in fiscal 2026. For Solana, the partnership marks another significant institutional win, as the network has already seen record tokenized-asset volumes and high transaction throughput, though market conditions fluctuate.
