SBI Holdings has announced a strategic partnership with the Solana Foundation to establish a comprehensive on-chain financial market tailored for institutional use in Japan. The collaboration aims to integrate real-world assets, yen-denominated stablecoins, and institutional settlement systems onto Solana’s high-performance blockchain infrastructure.
As part of the agreement, the Solana Foundation will acquire an equity stake in SBI R3 Japan—a joint venture previously held by SBI Holdings and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), a globally systemically important bank (G-SIB). The entity is expected to be renamed SBI Solana Global following standard corporate procedures. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.
SBI Solana Global will focus on four core initiatives:
- Stablecoins: Supporting the issuance and distribution of JPYSC and other yen-pegged digital tokens compliant with Japan’s Payment Services Act.
- Real-World Asset Tokenization: Bringing corporate bonds, commercial paper, real estate, and investment funds on-chain using Solana’s infrastructure.
- Cross-Border Settlement: Connecting Japanese financial assets with global liquidity pools to enhance international capital flows.
- Payments Infrastructure for AI Agents: Developing next-generation payment rails designed for autonomous AI-driven financial interactions.
The initiative leverages Japan’s well-established regulatory framework for stablecoins and security token offerings—one of the most mature among major economies. By combining regulated Japanese financial instruments with Solana’s public blockchain, the venture seeks to position Japan as a regional hub for institutional on-chain finance and expand the global footprint of Japan-originated digital assets.
Several key details remain undisclosed, including the size of the Solana Foundation’s equity stake, specific product launch timelines, and revenue projections. This partnership follows a series of recent digital asset moves by SBI, such as the March launch of a regulated yen stablecoin with Startale, distribution of RLUSD in Japan via Ripple, and a non-binding letter of intent to acquire cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank.
It is still unclear which SBI subsidiary—Bitbank, SBI VC Trade, or another entity—will ultimately distribute the products developed under the SBI Solana Global banner.