SBI Shinsei Bank will be the first Japanese bank to issue digital currency to corporate clients in fiscal year 2026 and join JPMorgan Chase’s blockchain-based Partior network.
Nikkei reported that the move aims to provide near international forwarding at a much lower cost than today’s systems.
DCJPY aims to reduce fees and speed transfers
Last year, the Financial Stability Committee said that if you send $200 overseas, the average global rate is 6.4%. Current cross-border payments take several days to resolve and can involve multiple correspondent banks. In contrast, Partior completed the US-jima Dollar transport in two minutes. With the participation of SBI Shinsei, Japanese companies will have access to faster and cheaper international transactions around the clock.
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The bank issuing DCJPY, a digital yen developed by DeCurret DCP under the Internet initiative Japan Group. The client converts deposits to DCJPY at a 1:1 rate with yen and a 1:1 rate and reverts the balance to cash through the linked account.
Unlike stablecoins, which can vary slightly in values, the tokenized deposits remain fixed at 1 circle. Financial Services institutions have made clear under the revised Payment Services Act that only licensed banks may issue deposit tokens to authorized blockchains. This ensures regulatory oversight while simplifying corporate accounting and settlements.
Japan Post Bank, the country’s largest depositor, has also announced plans to adopt DCJPY in 2026 for securities settlements. With a $120 million account and deposits of more than $1.3 trillion, its adoption could significantly expand the digital yen ecosystem. Bank of Japan Digital Money Forum It’s attracting attention Deposit tokens like DCJPY could complement stubcoin and central bank digital currencies.
According to Nikkei, SBI executives said DCJPY will allow banks to offer “faster, cheaper international relocations” to corporate clients, and to increase their competitiveness in cross-border settlements.
SBI expands its tokenization strategy
SBI Holdings pursues a broader range of digital finance projects beyond Shinsei Bank’s initiative. The group is developing a blockchain-based stock tokenization platform with Singapore’s startup start Isle, with the aim of launching by 2026 or 2027. The system can expand to bonds and ETFs, reducing fees and improving global access to Japanese securities.
SBI is also entering the Stablecoin market. In August, its exchange division, SBI VC Trade, signed a contract with Ripple to distribute Japanese RLUSD stubcoins from 2026. Dollar deposits and government bonds support RLUSD with monthly proofs from independent auditors. The deployment follows SBI’s approval to distribute USDC in 2025.
Global competition and Japan’s advantages
Cross-border payments have long been reliant on Swift, costly and slow. The FSB cited high fees and long payment times to encourage improvements. Blockchain networks like Partior try to solve these inefficiencies by enabling low-cost transactions in real time.
The International Bank is already on board. DBS and Standard Chartered are participating in Partior, with lenders from Europe, South Korea and the Middle East preparing to participate. International settlement banks claim to coexist with tokenized deposits, stubcoins and central bank digital currencies.
In Japan, SBI Shinsei’s adoption of DCJPY emphasizes unique strength, or precise regulations. By embedding digital yen tokens into the global payment network, Japan can provide compliant, stable, low-cost settlement rails. This is an advantage for banks to compete internationally while protecting financial sovereignty.
