Circle launches USDC stablecoin in Japan
10.04.2025
Circle will officially launch its stablecoin in Japan on March 26, after one of its local partners received regulatory approval to list the dollar-pegged stablecoin three weeks ago.
USDC will be introduced for the first time on the SBI VC Trade crypto exchange as part of a joint venture between its parent company — Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings — and Circle Japan KK. This was stated in a March 24 announcement by Circle.
This became possible after SBI VC Trade received the industry’s first regulatory approval to list USDC on March 4 under Japan’s new regulatory framework for stablecoins, introduced by the Financial Services Agency of Japan.
In the future, Circle also plans to list USDC on Binance Japan, bitbank, and bitFlyer.
Crypto exchanges bitbank and bitFlyer are among the largest in Japan. Over the past 24 hours, each processed more than $25 million in crypto, and over the past month, their websites were visited by more than 1.85 million users.
As noted by Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire in a March 24 post, obtaining approval was the result of two years of negotiations with regulators, banks, and key industry players.
“This opens up major opportunities not only for digital asset trading, but more broadly — for payments, cross-border finance, trade, and currency operations,” the company head added.
SBI Holdings CEO and President Yoshitaka Kitao emphasized that the launch of USDC will enhance financial accessibility and stimulate crypto innovation as Japan’s digital economy evolves.
“This aligns with our broader vision for the future of blockchain payments and Japan’s financial system,” Kitao stated.