cross-border payments - Japan FinTech Observer

digital assets

Financial Infrastructure Firm Curvegrid Expands Enterprise Web3 Push via Dual Strategic Partnerships

Blockchain infrastructure provider Curvegrid has announced a pair of collaborations aimed at broadening enterprise adoption of digital assets across Asia, targeting cross-border payments in the Philippines and institutional risk management. The Tokyo-headquartered firm has partnered with risk advisory specialist Continuum to address Web3 insurance gaps, while simultaneously joining

payments

Mizuho and UBS Execute Cross-Border Trials on Swift's Shared Ledger to Advance 24/7 Tokenized Settlements

Mizuho Bank has completed bilateral test transactions with UBS across the financial messaging cooperative Swift's blockchain-based shared ledger, joining the banking sector's initiative to industrialize tokenized commercial bank deposits for international trade and wholesale finance. The trial environment interconnected Mizuho Bank and UBS to execute

payments

SBI DigiTrust Partners with South Korean Firms to Test Cross-Border Stablecoin Payments

SBI DigiTrust, a blockchain infrastructure provider under the SBI Group, has entered into an agreement with South Korean payment processor NICE Information & Telecommunication and blockchain infrastructure developer DSRV to conduct joint feasibility testing for cross-border stablecoin transactions between Japan and South Korea. The initiative aims to evaluate the

payments

Japanese Financial Sector Enhances Cross-Border Services via AI Translation and Expanded QR Payments

Japanese financial institutions and digital payment providers are expanding their capabilities to support non-Japanese customers, focusing on seamless merchant integration and advanced AI translation tools. PayPay Corporation expanded its cross-border infrastructure by integrating the "UnionPay App" (UnionPay QR) into its nationwide merchant network through the HIVEX®

banking

Minna no Ginko and Revolut Deepen Partnership to Launch Banking Agency Operations

Digital lender Minna no Ginko, a subsidiary of Fukuoka Financial Group, has entered into a banking agency agreement with Revolut Technologies Japan, expanding their ongoing Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) collaboration. Under the terms of the agreement, Revolut Technologies Japan operates as a registered banking agency (Kanto Local Finance Bureau

payments

SBI Digital Practice and Nodeinfra Partner to Launch Cross-Border Stablecoin Payment Network Connecting Japan and South Korea

Japanese financial powerhouse SBI Group, through its Canton Network-focused entity SBI Digital Practice (SBIDP), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korean digital asset software provider Nodeinfra to build a stablecoin-based cross-border payment network. Dubbed Project Musubi, the joint initiative aims to overhaul traditional foreign exchange

digital assets

SBI XDC Network APAC Advances Regional Blockchain Integration with TOPPAN Factoring Trial and DSRV Partnership

SBI XDC Network APAC, a joint venture between Japan’s SBI Holdings and UAE-based TradeFinex Tech, has completed two major initiatives aimed at accelerating enterprise blockchain adoption across the Asia-Pacific region. The company successfully executed an online trade factoring pilot utilizing digital corporate IDs with TOPPAN, while simultaneously

payments

Swift Activates Blockchain Ledger for Live Tokenized Payments with 17 Global Banks; MUFG Joins as Sole Japanese Representative

Financial messaging giant Swift has moved its proprietary blockchain-based ledger from concept to operational readiness, clearing the way for 17 major financial institutions across six continents to pilot live, tokenized cross-border transactions. Developed in a rapid nine-month window following its initial announcement, the shared ledger functions as

payments

Nomura Partners with Circle to Advance Blockchain-Based Digital Finance and Stablecoin Integration

Nomura Holdings has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Circle Internet Financial to develop and scale digital finance solutions across global markets, with a specific focus on Japan. The partnership will center on exploring the capabilities of on-chain finance—conducting financial transactions and settlements directly on blockchain networks.

payments

Japan’s Top Remittance App "Smiles" Launches in U.S., Targeting USD 50bn+ Migrant Market

Tokyo-based FinTech firm Digital Wallet Group (DWG) has launched its flagship remittance platform, Smiles Mobile Remittance, in the United States. The move marks a significant North American expansion for the company as it targets the country's estimated 51.9 million migrant population. Smiles, which launched in 2017

payments

GCash Parent Inks Strategic Deals with Japan's Mitsubishi and MUFG

Globe Fintech Innovations (Mynt), the parent company of dominant Philippine mobile wallet GCash, has finalized key strategic partnerships in Japan with the objective of accelerating its international expansion and digital transformation. The agreements were formalized during President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s state visit to Tokyo. The

payments

Travel Wallet Targets Global Scale with Japan Launch and Projected U.S. Expansion

Travel Wallet’s formal entry into the Japanese market takes the localized South Korean FinTech into the realm of a highly competitive environment against legacy banks over cross-border FX. By exporting its proprietary payment rails to Tokyo, the firm is signaling that its ambitions lie in becoming a foundational