Japan’s FSA to Greenlight Yen-Pegged Stablecoin This Fall

Highlights:

• Japan prepares its first yen-backed stablecoin, led by JPYC.
• JPYC aims to issue up to 1 trillion yen stablecoins within three years.
• Stablecoins entering Japan signal growing institutional demand and mainstream adoption across financial markets.

Japan is moving into a new phase of digital finance as the Financial Services Agency (FSA) gets ready to approve the nation’s first yen-backed stablecoin. According to the report from Nikkei, this development may arrive as soon as this fall. This would be Japan’s first-ever domestic digital currency backed by fiat.

Japan to greenlight first yen-based stablecoin.

The Financial Services Agency will approve the issuance of Japan's first yen-denominated stablecoin as early as autumn, with the aim of using it for international remittances and more.

— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) August 18, 2025

JPYC Prepares Yen-Pegged Stablecoin for Real-World Use

Tokyo fintech startup JPYC will lead the rollout. The company plans to secure its registration as a money transfer service with the FSA in August. Once approved, token sales will begin soon after. The JPYC stablecoin will maintain a one-to-one value with the Japanese yen. To maintain this peg, it will be supported by highly liquid reserves such as bank deposits and Japanese government bonds. This structure is designed to strengthen confidence and guarantee stability.

JPYC has big plans. Unlike many stablecoins used mostly for trading, JPYC is made for real-world use. It can help with cross-border payments, business transactions, and DeFi projects. For Japanese users, it means faster and cheaper transactions while staying within the country’s regulated financial system. In three years, the company aims to issue up to 1 trillion yen ($6.78 billion) in stablecoins. Hedge funds are already interested, showing strong demand for a regulated yen-backed token.

Okabe from JPYC stated that yen-backed stablecoins might influence Japan’s government bond market. He explained that in the U.S., top stablecoin issuers hold large amounts of Treasurys as collateral. He suggested Japan may see the same trend, with JPYC increasing demand for government bonds if adoption grows.

Okabe added that JPYC could begin buying Japanese government bonds in large volumes. He cautioned that nations delaying stablecoin adoption could see rising government bond yields and miss growing institutional demand. He added that monetary policy concerns are pushing governments, including Japan, to speed up the development of stablecoin regulations.

ステーブルコインは巨大な国債消化装置であり、
ステーブルコイン発行体のTetherやCircleは米国債の主要な買い手になっています。

日本でもこれからJPYCが日本国債を買いまくることになります。

ステーブルコイン発行が伸びない国の国債金利はこれからどんどん上がっていくでしょう。…

— 岡部典孝　JPYC代表取締役 (@noritaka_okabe) August 14, 2025

Japan’s First Yen-Pegged Stablecoin Signals New Era for Digital Finance

Citigroup predicts the stablecoin market could grow to $3.7 trillion by 2030, over ten times larger than today. This growth indicates that yen-backed stablecoins may find a role as Asian investors look for options beyond dollar-based tokens. The launch in Japan comes amid increasing global regulatory focus on stablecoins. In the U.S., former President Donald Trump signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act) into law on July 18, creating the first federal rules for stablecoins.

The global stablecoin market has now grown beyond $286 billion. Dollar-backed assets like Circle’s USDC and Tether’s USDT lead the market. Although U.S. dollar stablecoins are already present in Japan, this marks the launch of the nation’s first yen-pegged stablecoin. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC) is working on stablecoins with Ava Labs and Fireblocks. In March last year, Circle’s USDC received FSA approval and is now targeting expansion to Binance Japan, bitbank, and bitFlyer. If approved, JPYC’s yen stablecoin could set a standard for Japan’s digital economy. Along with Circle and major banks, it shows that stablecoins are entering mainstream finance.