Japan FinTech Observer | Tontines | ex-Goldman & Barclays Tech MD
blockchain
R3, which is represented in Japan through a joint venture with SBI Group, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Solana Foundation to create next-generation internet capital markets that fuse public and private blockchains. Read also: Progmat, in collaboration with NTT DATA and SBI R3 Japan, has launched both
corporate venture capital
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group has announced its decision to further strengthen its strategic capital and business alliance with Asuene, with the aim of accelerating decarbonization in Japan and on a global scale. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Asuene have agreed that “Sustana”, a cloud service provided by SMBC to support
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred thirteenth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. When I joined an investment bank in 2000, we had afternoon fruit baskets. These disappeared after the internet bubble burst, and even before 9/11 happened. A few years later, fruit baskets made a comeback, only to be
ESG
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and its consolidated subsidiary, MUFG Bank, have entered into an investment agreement with Greenprint Technologies, a company that operates digital platform for sustainability reporting and data. As a result of this agreement, MUFG has become one of the seed round investors. Established in Oct 2023, Gprnt
crypto
While the Metaplanet story is widely understood by now, especially since it is largely a replication of the (Micro-)Strategy "Bitcoin Treasury" model (see "Metaplanet's fiscal year 2024 results", and "Metaplanet announces 2025-2026 Bitcoin Plan"), Remixpoint is only now getting traction in
japan
When Mizuho released its earnings announcement on May 15, the market response was rather muted, with the closing price down 2% on May 16th while the TOPIX was flat, despite a positive surprise: the introduction of a new shareholder return strategy focused on increasing dividends and targeting a payout ratio
Insurance
Tokio Marine Holdings reported high growth for the fiscal year ending in March 2025. * Adjusted net income (excluding capital gains from sales of business-related equities) rose to JPY 608.9bn in FY2024, +JPY 27.9bn vs full year projections released in February (+6% YoY) mainly due to the positive impact
artificial intelligence
Naoyuki Fukuda at the Japan Research Institute has recently published a paper titled "Generative AI and the Japanese Economy: Reducing the Digital Deficit and Ensuring Economic Security". Key Takeaways and Arguments * Generative AI presents both significant opportunities and challenges for Japan. * Japan needs to reduce its reliance on
regional bank
In a January 2025 report, the Nikko Research Center analyzed the public disclosures of 99 regional banks - 10 internationally operating banks, 53 regional banks excluding the internationally operating banks, and 36 second-tier regional banks. Under various interest rate scenarios, the change in value of securities, loans, deposits, etc. was
stablecoin
JPYC announced that their previously issued prepaid payment instrument "JPYC Prepaid" will be treated as an electronic payment instrument starting June 1, 2025, following the required transition period after the amended Payment Services Act took effect on June 1, 2023. Handling of "JPYC Prepaid" from June
consumer finance
Credit Saison's financial results for fiscal year 2024 demonstrate a period of significant growth and strategic evolution. The company achieved record-high consolidated operating profit, reflecting strong performance across its core business segments and the positive impact of specific accounting factors. Overall, the company's diverse business model,
banking
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities (MUMSS) have launched MUMSS’ subsidiary, MUFG Morgan Stanley Credit Solutions, as previously announced in February. The market for private credit has been expanding, particularly in Europe and the United States, and is an alternative investment sector that has attracted