- Circle deepens its commitment to Japan through a strategic partnership with SBI Holdings and the launch of Circle Japan KK.
- USDC will officially launch in Japan via SBI VC Trade, enhancing accessibility and promoting blockchain-based financial innovation.
Who would have thought that the USDC stablecoin would have a big stage in Japan? Circle, the company behind USDC, is now increasingly serious about expanding its foothold in Sakura Country through its local entity, Circle Japan KK.
This step is not just a formality, because they are collaborating with Japanese financial giant, SBI Holdings, which is known to have a strong position in the world of digital assets. Through its subsidiary, SBI VC Trade, USDC will be fully launched on March 26, 2025. This makes USDC the first and only dollar stablecoin officially approved for use in Japan.
Not only that, several major exchanges such as Binance Japan, bitbank, and bitFlyer are already preparing to participate in the distribution of USDC. So, it can be said that the USDC ecosystem in Japan will immediately jump into “ready-to-use” mode.
Amid Japan’s strict regulatory oversight of stablecoins, this decision is a strong signal that USDC is considered credible enough to enter the market, which is known to be selective.
SBI’s Vision: Bridging Borders With Digital Dollars
Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman, President & CEO of SBI Holdings, stated that they are proud to be a key part of the launch of USDC in Japan. He said:
“SBI Holdings is proud to play a key role in expanding USDC adoption in Japan, a move that enhances digital asset accessibility and promotes financial innovation.”
He believes this initiative is in line with their grand vision of the future of blockchain-based payments and finance. In the real world, imagine being able to send digital dollars from Tokyo to New York as quickly as sending a sticker on WhatsApp—without the drama of currency conversions or excessive fees.
Furthermore, Circle seems to be accelerating to build global trust and infrastructure. Outside of Japan, they are also laying a strong foundation through product integration and cross-border cooperation. For example, they integrated Hashnote TMMF under Bermuda regulations.
What’s important? In the financial world, compliance extends beyond mere documentation, providing investors with a guarantee that their funds will remain secure. Circle knows very well that stability is not just a matter of algorithms but also regulations.
No More Waiting: Cross-Chain USDC Just Got Faster
On the other hand, Circle’s technology continues to develop. CNF has reported that Stargate Finance has integrated Circle’s CCTP (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol). Imagine being able to send USDC from Ethereum to Avalanche or vice versa, without having to go through a liquidity pool.
The latest version of CCTP even cuts the inter-chain transfer time from 15 minutes to seconds. This is definitely good news for DeFi users who need to act quickly.
For example, you see an arbitrage opportunity, but have to wait 15 minutes to transfer between chains? It could be that the opportunity has already been taken by someone else. With this new technology, Circle is accelerating the rate of fund movement without sacrificing security.
Clear Rules, Cool Tech—Japan’s Got It All
Japan is no ordinary country when it comes to financial innovation. They were once pioneers in the adoption of Web3 and blockchain technology before many other countries. Circle sees a huge opportunity here. With clear regulations and a mature technology ecosystem, Japan is like a fertile ground for the growth of stablecoins that can really be used in everyday life.
Circle is not coming empty-handed either. Through its local entity, they are ready to push for wider adoption of USDC—both among businesses and institutions. If everything goes smoothly, it is not impossible that one day you will be able to buy ramen or pay for train tickets in Japan with just USDC from your digital wallet.
