SBI Tests Stablecoin QR Payments for Japan-Korea Travel

SBI Group is testing stablecoin-based QR payments between Japan and South Korea with the help of NICE Information & Telecommunication and DSRV. The three companies aim to complete the project by the end of December 2026. SBI DigiTrust, a blockchain infrastructure provider, will handle the Japanese regulatory, financial, and digital-asset side of the project.

NICE contributes its existing payment infrastructure and merchant operations, while DSRV examines the blockchain architecture needed to support the settlement process. The test will examine transaction size and cost, as well as technical feasibility.

Regulation remains a part of the test, as Japan and South Korea have different stablecoin frameworks. Japan already regulates fiat-linked stablecoins as electronic payment instruments, while South Korea is still working through its rules for won-linked stablecoins.

The test is not SBI's first stablecoin experiment connecting Japan and South Korea. SBI has previously worked on separate Japan-Korea stablecoin networks using Canton and the Canton Network.