Circle Rolls Out USDC in Japan to Meet Growing Stablecoin Demand

Highlights:

• Circle has announced its USDC stablecoin launch in Japan after receiving approval from the nation’s FSA.
• The stablecoin issuer will partner with SBI VC Trade, a branch of SBI Holdings, for the launch on March 26.
• Circle’s expansion in Japan could push other nations to adopt its stablecoin for payment services.

Global fintech firm and stablecoin issuer Circle announced its expansion into Japan in a March 25 blog post. The blog article noted that Circle obtained approval from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) to launch its USDC stablecoin in the nation.

The stablecoin issuer aims to expand in Japan through strategic partnerships involving its Japanese entity, Circle Japan KK, and local financial services firm, SBI Holdings. Circle’s USDC became the first dollar-backed stablecoin approved for transactions in Japan, aligning with its stablecoin regulatory framework.

🇯🇵 Circle is expanding in Japan — Circle Japan KK, our local entity to build presence and drive digital finance innovation in the market!

With @sbivc_official launching USDC tomorrow and top exchanges onboard to list soon, Japan’s stablecoin market is set for growth.

A major… pic.twitter.com/HOFTRs6Qo4

— Circle (@circle) March 24, 2025

On March 4, Crypto2Community reported that SBI VC Trade, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, secured approval from Japan’s Kanto Regional Financial Bureau to operate as an electronic payment services provider. The authorization also allows SBI VC Trade to process transactions with Circle’s USDC, marking the stablecoin’s official entry in Japan. Following the approval, SBI VC Trade plans to roll out a full-scale USDC launch on March 26.

Circle and SBI Holdings CEO Reacts to the Latest Development

Jeremy Allaire, Co-founder and CEO of Circle, expressed optimism about USDC meeting Japan’s stablecoins demands with SBI Holdings support. Allaire also praised Japan for being at the forefront of Web3 and blockchain technology adoption. He also commended the country’s explicit regulations, which support seamless stablecoin integration into its payment system. Like Circle’s CEO, Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman, President, and CEO of SBI Holdings, expressed similar optimism about boosting stablecoin use.

BREAKING NEWS: Circle becomes the first and only stablecoin to be approved for use in Japanese markets, with Circle launching new operations, a strategic JV with SBI Holdings, and imminent launch of USDC by SBI VC Trade, with other major exchanges to follow.

We have spent 2+…

— Jeremy Allaire – jda.eth / jdallaire.sol (@jerallaire) March 24, 2025

Implications of Circle’s USDC Launch in Japan

USDC’s presence in the Japanese digital space will increase institutional interest in stablecoin as a reliable payment option. It will also boost liquidity for trading and strengthen market infrastructure.

With USDC, Circle will tackle payment and treasury challenges effectively. Meanwhile, leading trading firms, including Binance Japan, bitbank, and bitFlyer have revealed plans to roll out support for USDC, signaling growing adoption.

Circle’s Stablecoin Adoption Attains Significant Height with Dubai’s DFSA Approval

On February 24, Crypto2Community reported that the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) approved Euro Coin and USDC as the two official stablecoins for transactions under Dubai’s International Financial Center (DIFC). The endorsement allows fintech firms in the country to integrate the stablecoins into their payment and treasury management offerings.

USDC’s approval means over 6,000 DIFC-registered companies can adopt it for payments. Like Japan, Circle has intensified expansion efforts in Dubai. It established its local branch in UAE, increasing crypto access among the nation’s citizens. In UAE, approved stablecoins can be used to buy virtual assets within the country. However, completely algorithmic stablecoins like DAI and USDe remain prohibited in the region.

In other related news, Circle announced a strategic partnership with Binance last year. The collaboration also aims to expand stablecoin and global digital finance growth. With the partnership, Binance added support for USDC, making the stablecoin accessible for savings, trading, and payments to Binance’s over 240 million worldwide users.