Japan FinTech Observer | Tontines | ex-Goldman & Barclays Tech MD
regulation
This article synthesizes the key discussion points, directives, and strategic priorities communicated by Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) during its October 2025 meetings with various financial industry associations. The purpose of this briefing is to provide a high-level strategic analysis of the FSA's primary focus areas,
Tallinn
The third stop of our "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" last week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia, led us to salv, where we were hosted by Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Taavi Tamkivi, as well as Kadri Pirn, Vice President of the Screening and Monitoring Business Unit. Here
artificial intelligence
Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) has recently published the minutes for its third AI Public-Private Forum, held on November 5, 2025, which brought together a distinguished group of experts to chart a course for the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in the financial sector. The forum's
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred forty-first edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Last week, we were delighted to participate in the "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" this past week, courtesy of EIS | Enterprise Estonia. As we are settling down back home, we are iteratively reporting on the
venture capital
In order to further revitalize the startup ecosystem, it is important for each entity involved in funding startups to share a common understanding of the direction the ecosystem should aim for, further strengthen funding for startups, support their growth, and ensure that the benefits are reaped by each entity involved.
regional banks
Regional Financial Institutions (RFIs) are the cornerstone of Japan's local economies. As outlined in the "Working Group on Strengthening Regional Financial Capabilities" draft report, their role extends beyond simple financing to become a driving force for regional economic vitality. However, their capacity to fulfill this critical
artificial intelligence
Mizuho Financial Group is releasing the generative AI-powered platform "Wiz Base" and will earnestly promote large-scale PoCs (Proof of Concepts) in anticipation of full-scale implementation of AI utilization in the sales support domain. Wiz Base is a platform built by Mizuho on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to operate
security token
ALTERNA Trust, Mitsui & Co. Digital Asset Management, Daiwa Securities, and Progmat have completed the fundraising and issuance for the security tokenization (ST) of "Mitsui & Co. Group Digital Securities - Nagoya Prime Office - (Transfer Restricted)". This project marks the first ST issuance for both ALTERNA Trust,
Tallinn
We were delighted to participate in the "ICT & FinTech Mission to Tallinn" this past week, courtesy of Enterprise Estonia. Our second stop was Inbank, where we were hosted by Founder & Chief Executive Officer Priit Poldoja, as well as Chief Product & Technology Officer Erik Kaju. Introduction
loyalty
SBI VC Trade, a consolidated subsidiary of SBI Holdings operating a cryptocurrency exchange business, has launched the "Sapporo Draft Beer Black Label THE BAR Renewal Campaign" in collaboration with Sapporo Breweries, as part of a proof-of-concept experiment aimed at "expanding brand experiences." This campaign commemorates the
carbon credit
Nomura Securities has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with World Vision Japan (WVJ), a specified non-profit organization, to support the development of new projects using Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). Nomura has been actively engaged in research, framework design, and market development in the JCM space. In June
data
The Snowflake Industry Days 2025 Japan took place in November, with a Financial Services track session featuring Trust Base and the Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group, titled "Connecting Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group: Implementation and Governance of the Data Fabric Concept." Presenters: * Gen Uehara (Head of Financial Industry, Snowflake) * Satoshi