SBI and Chainlink Join Forces to Expand Digital Asset Adoption in Japan

Highlights:

• SBI teams with Chainlink to strengthen blockchain services across Japan’s financial industry.
• Launching in Japan signals growing acceptance of regulated stablecoins and tokenized assets.
• SBI uses Chainlink technology to simplify secure trading, compliance, and global digital payments.

SBI Group, a big Japanese finance company, has teamed up with Chainlink, a blockchain service, to make crypto tools for banks and other financial firms in Asia. Announced on Aug. 24, the deal brings together SBI’s financial knowledge and Chainlink’s trusted technology for data, blockchain connections, and DeFi services. SBI said the project will first focus on Japan before expanding to the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.

SBI Group is actively developing tokenized assets and stablecoins in Japan. The company stated that this partnership will support banks and financial institutions in beginning to adopt and utilize digital assets effectively. This is SBI Group’s fourth crypto partnership in just a few days, following recent deals with Circle, Ripple, and Web3 company Startale.

We’re excited to announce a strategic partnership between Chainlink and SBI Group one of Japan’s largest financial conglomerates with the USD equivalent of over $200 billion in total assets.https://t.co/ZNyq7bVvUb

SBI Group and Chainlink will focus on powering several… pic.twitter.com/tdbLXOkUnW

— Chainlink (@chainlink) August 25, 2025

SBI Teams Up with Chainlink to Grow Digital Asset Adoption in Japan

Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov said he was excited that their work was moving toward large-scale real use. He noted that Chainlink had been supporting SBI in developing stablecoin settlement and advanced fund tokenization. About 76% of people surveyed said they want to invest in tokenized securities because they offer more efficiency and diversification. But many also said the biggest problem is the lack of strong, reliable infrastructure for large-scale use.

SBI revealed it will adopt Chainlink’s core services, including the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP). The company will also use SmartData feeds for NAV tracking and Proof of Reserve verification. These tools will improve trading of tokenized assets, make them more efficient, and help financial institutions follow rules and protect privacy.

SBI’s CEO Yoshitaka Kitao added that the two companies will also work on safe, legal cross-border payments with stablecoins to help speed up the use of digital assets in Japan and the region. Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is expected to approve a yen-based stablecoin for the first time as soon as next month, with fintech company JPYC leading the launch, local media reported.

SBI Strengthens Blockchain Initiatives

SBI Group’s alliance with Chainlink comes after several recent cryptocurrency-focused partnerships. It collaborated with Circle to grow USDC usage in Japan and teamed up with Ripple to roll out Ripple USD (RLUSD) by 2026. 

With Startale, SBI plans to build a blockchain-based trading platform for tokenized stocks and real-world assets (RWAs) that will run 24/7, similar to platforms like Kraken and Robinhood. The launch date and blockchain details have not been shared yet. Startale’s CEO, Sota Watanabe, said they aren’t ready to reveal the technical setup. Through its partnership with Chainlink, SBI is reinforcing its leading role in Japan’s digital finance expansion. The deal also shows Japan is ready to use regulated stablecoins and tokenized assets, which could guide adoption across the Asia-Pacific region.