Bitbank Rolls Out Japan's First Credit Card with Bitcoin Payments

Japanese crypto exchange Bitbank has launched a Visa credit card that allows users to pay credit card bills directly from balances held on its exchange. The 'EPOS Crypto Card for Bitbank' was developed in partnership with EPOS Card, the fintech arm of retail group Marui.

The product is a first for Japan's market, enabling credit card bills to be settled directly from a crypto exchange account. Users can opt to have their monthly credit card bills automatically paid in Bitcoin from their Bitbank holdings, though the bill payment feature is currently limited to Bitcoin only.

Cardholders also earn 0.5% crypto cashback on monthly spending, with rewards deposited directly into users' Bitbank accounts in Bitcoin, Ether, or Aster. The company plans to consider expanding support to a wider range of cryptocurrencies in the future, though no timeline was provided.