Founding Product Manager - Agentic Commerce

SBI Holdings, Mesh, and Money Forward to launch Crypto Infrastructure joint venture in Japan. SBI Holdings, Mesh Connect, and Money Forward have entered a basic agreement to establish a joint venture in Japan by 2026. This partnership aims to build on-chain settlement infrastructure and simplify digital asset transfers through API connectivity, addressing the fragmentation that currently forces fintech users to navigate multiple disconnected cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets. What was announced. The three companies intend to launch the joint venture by 2026, pending final agreements and regulatory approvals. The entity will focus on the Japanese market, utilizing Mesh's API technology to bridge the gap between various cryptocurrency exchanges and digital wallets. The primary goal is to eliminate the complex procedures currently required for users to connect accounts, transfer assets, and settle payments. The venture will specifically explore four key areas: seamless account connectivity between services, simplifying the purchase and usage of digital assets, constructing payment functions using crypto assets and stablecoins, and providing tokenized asset infrastructure to financial institutions. Under the agreement, SBI Group will contribute its financial services infrastructure and regulatory expertise. Mesh, headquartered in California, provides the underlying API integration technology already used globally. Money Forward, which is an existing shareholder in Mesh, will provide management support and business development initiatives within Japan. Following the establishment of the venture, the partners plan to commercialize services that streamline the flow of purchasing, sending, and settling digital assets. In the future, the companies will consider expanding into connection and settlement areas related to stablecoins and tokenized assets, supporting the construction of a next-generation financial infrastructure where digital assets and fiat currencies are linked. "Our aim is to simplify the traditionally complex digital asset usage flow, thereby improving user convenience and stimulating trading activity." A statement from the joint announcement by SBI Holdings, Inc., Mesh Connect Inc., and Money Forward, Inc. The companies involved. SBI Holdings is a major financial services group based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, led by Chairman and President Yoshitaka Kitao. The company has established a significant presence in the digital asset space, operating across various segments of the traditional and decentralized financial markets. Mesh Connect Inc., led by CEO and Co-founder Bam Azizi, is a California-based infrastructure provider specializing in API connections for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Its technology is designed to enable seamless interactions between exchanges and wallets, reducing friction for end-users by connecting services through API integration. Money Forward, Inc., headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, is a prominent Japanese fintech firm led by President and Group CEO Yosuke Tsuji. Known for its personal finance management and SaaS platforms, Money Forward is already an investor in Mesh. The collaboration brings together SBI's regulatory and institutional weight with Mesh's technical connectivity and Money Forward's experience in the Japanese consumer software market, positioning the joint venture as a bridge between traditional Japanese finance and the emerging on-chain economy. What FF News has reported before. SBI Holdings has been consistently active in the institutional crypto and stablecoin sectors. FF News recently reported that EDX Markets Secures $76 Million Series C Led by SBI Holdings to Scale Institutional Crypto Infrastructure, highlighting the group's commitment to building professional-grade trading environments. Additionally, the group has shown interest in the growth of digital asset platforms in emerging markets, as seen when Fasset Hits $1B Unicorn Status with $68M Series C Led by SBI Group. SBI's broader ecosystem involvement also extends to localized digital currency initiatives, including coverage of how Fasset Becomes First Global Platform to List UAE's Dirham-Backed Stablecoin DDSC. What this means. This joint venture signals a move toward the aggregation phase of the digital asset market in Japan. By focusing on API-led connectivity, the partners are addressing the primary barrier to retail and institutional adoption: fragmented liquidity and siloed user experiences. If successful, this infrastructure could place significant pressure on standalone exchanges that lack deep integration with broader financial ecosystems. The move also highlights the growing importance of stablecoins and tokenized assets as legitimate components of national financial infrastructure rather than speculative outliers. The key question for the sector is whether regulatory frameworks in Japan will evolve quickly enough to support the seamless on-chain settlement these companies envision. Featured speakers.

Mesh and Bitget Wallet formalize partnership to scale global crypto payments. Quick summary. Mesh and Bitget Wallet have formalized a strategic partnership to enhance crypto payments interoperability. By integrating Bitget Wallet into the Mesh network, users can seamlessly fund accounts and make purchases across hundreds of platforms without manual address copying, significantly improving the usability of digital assets for everyday transactions. How does Mesh improve the Bitget Wallet user experience? The collaboration focuses on removing the friction typically associated with decentralized finance and digital asset transfers. By including Bitget Wallet in the Mesh payments network, users gain the ability to link their self-custody accounts to third-party platforms in just a few taps. This eliminates the need for copying wallet addresses or switching between multiple applications to authorize a transaction. * Seamless Connectivity: Bitget Wallet appears natively within the Mesh connection interface. * Enhanced Utility: Assets become immediately spendable across a vast catalog of integrated exchanges and providers. * Reduced Friction: Users can fund accounts or make purchases without leaving their current digital environment. "Formalizing our partnership with Bitget Wallet is about building something more durable together," said Bam Azizi, Co-founder and CEO of Mesh. "Our shared goal is simple: make the crypto people already hold easy to put to use - to move it or spend it - wherever they want. This is the foundation for a lot more to come." What impact does this have on global crypto adoption? This partnership leverages Bitget Wallet's massive reach - trusted by over 100 million people - to push crypto payments into the mainstream. By connecting to Mesh's interoperability layer, Bitget Wallet users can access a broader ecosystem of financial services. This is particularly relevant given Bitget's Onchain Payments Matrix, which has already processed over $177 billion in stablecoin volume. Corporate finance training * Scalable Infrastructure: Support for over 130+ different blockchains. * Institutional Demand: Expansion into APAC and EMEA markets to meet compliance needs. * AI Integration: Mesh's recent launch of stablecoin transactions for AI agents signals a forward-looking roadmap. "Crypto becomes more useful when people can easily use the assets they already hold," said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. "Mesh connects Bitget Wallet to more platforms, allowing users to fund accounts or make purchases with fewer steps and without switching between apps. This connectivity is essential to making crypto practical for everyday transactions. It builds on Bitget Wallet's existing payment stack including crypto cards, QR payments, bank transfers and shop, powered by the Onchain Payments Matrix, which has processed over $177 billion in stablecoin volume to date." Ff news take: The formalization of the Mesh and Bitget Wallet partnership definitely moves the needle for crypto payments. By bridging the gap between self-custody and merchant utility, they are solving the "usability trap" that has long hindered digital assets. With 100 million users now having a direct path to spendable crypto, this is a significant step toward making stablecoins a viable alternative to traditional rails. Featured speakers.