The partners aim to let Japanese companies convert yen into USDC for cross-border payments, FX settlement and affiliate transfers, using blockchain-based near-instant settlement within Japan’s regulated stablecoin framework.
Circle Internet Financial and Nomura Holdings plan to launch a corporate digital asset settlement platform in Japan as early as 2027 that would let companies convert yen into USD Coin, or USDC, for cross-border payments, foreign-exchange settlement and transfers between overseas affiliates. The companies say the service is intended to support near-instant settlement compared with traditional banking processes that can take a few business days, highlighting broader traditional-finance interest in stablecoin-based payment and settlement infrastructure. The initiative follows regulatory changes in Japan, including earlier reporting that the Financial Services Agency, Japan’s financial regulator, approved USDC under new payment rules for local corporate use.