payments
The Kaia DLT Foundation has struck strategic partnerships with Tokyo-listed payment gateway Netstars and digital asset solution provider HashPort. The dual announcements position Kaia—an EVM-compatible Layer-1 public blockchain created through the merger of Kakao’s Klaytn and LINE’s Finschia—to bridge decentralized finance with everyday
payments
Tokyo-based payment gateway operator NETSTARS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore’s imToken to explore integrating the non-custodial Web3 wallet with NETSTARS’ "Stablecoin Pay" infrastructure. The initiative aims to advance real-world stablecoin adoption at physical retail locations in Japan and examine broader expansion
digital assets
BOOSTRY and Digital Asset Holdings have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating the adoption of on-chain finance and digital capital markets both in Japan and internationally. As the initial initiative of this alliance, the two companies are co-developing a multi-chain enterprise wallet service, which BOOSTRY plans
payments
Blockchain infrastructure developer Datachain has launched an early evaluation version of "Datachain Wallet," a proprietary Web3 wallet specifically engineered for corporate and institutional transactions. The rollout targets financial institutions, payment operators, and enterprises seeking to integrate stablecoins and digital assets into their operational workflows. The initiative arrives amid
payments
Japanese municipal administrations increasingly prioritize fiscal and data autonomy. Moving away from general-purpose, third-party payment applications, forward-thinking districts are now investing in dedicated regional platforms that allow for more granular control over local economic ecosystems. Within this trend, Tokyo’s Kita Ward has announced the selection of
payments
Digital Garage and its subsidiary, DG Financial Technology (DGFT), have launched new digital wallet functionality integrated into their "Cloud Pay Business" DX solution. Developed in collaboration with group company Pocket Change, the platform aims to unify payments, loyalty programs, and customer management to drive digital transformation (DX) for
payments
Netstars, a leading provider of multi-cashless payment solutions, has launched "StarPay-X," a gateway concept designed to bridge the gap between traditional Web2 payment infrastructure and the emerging Web3 financial ecosystem. The initiative represents a critical step for Netstars as it seeks to transition from a QR-
tokyo metropolitan government
The 2025 Tokyo Financial Award winners—Impact Circle, Clarity AI, Japan Asset Management Platform Group, Myna Wallet, EduCare, and Henry could provide functional components of a broader structural reorganization of the Japanese financial landscape. As the Tokyo Metropolitan Government intensifies its "Global Financial City: Tokyo" initiative, these six
payments
Global payments giant Visa and Southeast Asian payment gateway Omise have announced a strategic partnership to fortify Thailand’s digital commerce infrastructure. The collaboration introduces Visa’s Network Token solution to the Thai market, a technological shift aimed at mitigating online fraud while simultaneously increasing transaction approval rates for local
corporate venture capital
Startale Group has announced the successful first close of its Series A funding round, securing approximately JPY 2bn in additional capital from the Sony Innovation Fund. This latest injection underscores a deepening strategic alliance between the web3 infrastructure firm and the Japanese conglomerate, aimed at establishing a robust global infrastructure
qr code
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and PASMO have announced a landmark initiative to unify Japan's leading transit wallets with "teppay" (テッペイ), a new integrated code payment service poised to resolve growing "cashless fatigue" among consumers. The service will be integrated directly within the
credit card
Nudge has partnered with HashPort, provider of the Web3 wallet "HashPort Wallet" chosen by 1 million people, to begin offering the "HashPort Card" through the next-generation credit card "Nudge". With this card, JPYC (Japanese Yen stablecoin) is provided as cashback by HashPort according