JPYC Inc., the Japanese firm behind the yen-pegged stablecoin JPYC, has closed an extended Series B funding round totaling 6 billion yen ($38 million). The fresh capital will be used to expand the company’s financial and Web3 ecosystem and accelerate adoption of its regulated stablecoin.
The latest round includes a 1 billion yen ($6.3 million) investment from Tokyo-listed logistics giant AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings, which counts Amazon Japan among its key clients. AZ-COM Maruwa plans to use JPYC for fees and salaries to roughly 2,300 business partners and individual contractors, aiming to expedite settlements and address driver shortages caused by Japan’s aging workforce and stricter overtime rules.
Earlier in March, Metaplanet Ventures deployed 400 million yen ($2.53 million) into the Series B. Metaplanet’s involvement extends beyond funding—together with JPYC, Progmat, and Metaplanet Securities, it launched a joint study exploring whether Bitcoin can serve as collateral or a credit‑enhancement asset for tokenized corporate bonds.
Since its launch last October as Japan’s first registered stablecoin, JPYC has been moving into commercial payments. The company is piloting stablecoin payments at Lawson, the country’s third‑largest convenience store chain, and at select Chibo restaurants. Lawson recently expanded trials by adding USDC and USDT alongside JPYC, testing direct stablecoin payments through existing point‑of‑sale registers.
Japan’s regulated stablecoin market continues to grow. SBI Group introduced the yen stablecoin JPYSC in June, and three megabanks—MUFG, SMBC, and Mizuho—are jointly developing a yen‑backed stablecoin expected to go live in fiscal 2026. Amendments to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act recently reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial products, laying groundwork for domestic crypto ETFs and a separate tax framework.
