digital assets
Japanese telecommunications giant KDDI, alongside joint-venture partner au Coincheck Digital Assets, blockchain developer HashPort, and au Financial Services, announced the launch of "αU wallet," a non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet embedded directly as a mini-app within the widespread au PAY mobile payment platform. The integrated service allows
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
In an era where decentralized finance (DeFi) and digital payment systems are frequently undermined by structural vulnerabilities, WEA Japan has secured two critical intellectual property assets designed to fortify the integrity of blockchain transactions. The granting of Patents JP 7811423 and JP 7857640 marks a calculated effort to institutionalize high-
payments
NETSTARS has formalized a partnership with the blockchain provider Aptos to advance the integration of Web3 payment solutions into mainstream finance. This collaboration centers on the StarPay-X initiative, a gateway concept designed to merge traditional Web2 financial systems with decentralized technologies like stablecoins. By leveraging the high-speed Layer
venture capital
Two of Japan's most influential institutional players are formalizing a high-capacity "bridge" to the American startup market. KDDI Corporation, a titan in Japanese telecommunications, and the University of Tokyo Innovation Platform (UTokyo IPC), the investment arm of Japan's premier public university, have announced
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-
web3
A focused finance session in Osaka followed by two main conference days in Tokyo—this was my firsthand experience at WebX 2025. I have combined on-site observations, in-depth conversations, trend insights, and policy interpretations to offer those who could not attend a more vivid and complete sense of
venture capital
SBI Investment, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings which manages and operates venture capital funds, has completed fundraising for the “SBI Digital Space Fund”, with total capital commitments reaching JPY 100 billion. In March 2023, the SBI Group established SBI PE Holding as an intermediate holding company to oversee its private
web3
Coincheck has entered into a strategic partnership with MynaWallet, a company providing a web3 wallet solution utilizing the Japanese government-issued My Number Card. Prior to this collaboration, Coincheck Group N.V., which is Coincheck’s parent company, made an investment in MynaWallet. MynaWallet is currently developing a service called
venture capital
SMBC Nikko Securities will make a strategic investment in Fund 3 established by Hashed Venture, a global blockchain-focused venture capital firm. In March 2020, SMBC Nikko Securities established the "Nikko Open Innovation Lab (NOIL)" as a new business development division, and has been exploring new business models
corporate venture capital
CryptoGames, a developer of blockchain games, has launched “CG Ventures” as a new corporate venture capital business. To date, CG Ventures has invested in 17 companies, mainly in the Web3 field, where CryptoGames expects business synergy, but going forward they will also consider investing in the trading card field. Investment
web3
Futureverse, a leader in AI and metaverse technology, has officially launched RakutenWallet.Pass in partnership with Rakuten Wallet. Starting today, Rakuten Wallet's users will now have access to onboard seamlessly to an upgraded version of the RakutenWallet.Pass, unlocking web3 benefits like digital ownership and access to immersive