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SBI Holdings and Startale launch OUSD pilot for yen-dollar stablecoin interoperability. 16 Oct 2026 Filed under Cross-border currency settlement is notoriously inefficient. Traditional foreign exchange relies on a tangled web of correspondent banks. Transactions often take days to clear. Fees pile up at every single hop. Blockchain technology promises to fix this broken plumbing. Now, a massive new pilot is attempting to bridge the gap between two of the most heavily traded currencies in the world. SBI Holdings and Startale Group have officially joined Open Standard. This rapidly growing industry alliance already boasts heavyweights like Visa, Stripe, Mastercard, BlackRock, and Coinbase. The coalition shares a singular focus. They want to establish Open USD (OUSD) as the default settlement layer for the digital economy. By joining this network, SBI and Startale are initiating a highly ambitious project. They plan to explore direct interoperability between OUSD and JPYSC, a yen-denominated stablecoin. JPYSC is not a speculative crypto asset. It is a strictly regulated, trust-backed stablecoin. SBI Shinsei Trust Bank issues the currency in full compliance with Japan's rigorous Payment Services Act. OUSD mirrors this institutional focus on the American side. It functions as a U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoin built explicitly for global corporate settlement. Connecting these two assets changes the mechanics of international finance. In traditional markets, moving capital between Tokyo and New York requires pre-funded Nostro and Vostro accounts. Counterparty risk lingers for 48 hours during the standard settlement cycle. An onchain stablecoin corridor operates entirely differently. Smart contracts can facilitate atomic swaps. The exchange of value happens simultaneously and instantly. This shifts the entire paradigm. Banks and multinational corporations could eventually settle yen-dollar obligations in real time, 24 hours a day. Open Standard launched in June 2026 with a mission to build internet-native money. The alliance operates on a model that actively rewards business adoption. Companies that integrate OUSD can benefit from shared network rewards and representative governance. This is a massive departure from traditional payment rails, which extract high percentage fees from merchants and transferring institutions. By completely removing traditional toll collectors, OUSD reduces operational overhead for global businesses. When paired with JPYSC, Japanese enterprises gain a highly cost-effective gateway into dollar-denominated markets. The implications for capital markets are equally profound. Tokenized assets represent the next frontier of global finance. However, trading tokenized stocks or bonds requires an equally efficient settlement currency. If an investor in New York wants to purchase a tokenized Japanese real estate asset, the currency conversion process currently creates massive friction. A direct JPYSC to OUSD corridor eliminates this bottleneck. Trades can settle instantly across borders without relying on sluggish legacy banking infrastructure. The timing of this pilot is highly deliberate. Regulatory clarity is finally emerging across major markets. In the United States, the recent passage of the GENIUS Act has dramatically accelerated the development of enterprise-grade digital infrastructure. Meanwhile, Japan has proactively established one of the clearest legal frameworks for stablecoin issuance in the world. SBI and Startale are already pushing the boundaries of this regulatory clarity. Back in July 2026, the companies successfully demonstrated a proof of concept for settling tokenized securities. They used a test environment to automate distribution payments. The ultimate goal is to migrate these complex financial operations directly onto JPYSC. Yoshitaka Kitao serves as the Chairman and President of SBI Holdings. He views this interoperability as foundational infrastructure. "As onchain finance continues to evolve, cross-border transactions will become increasingly prevalent," Kitao stated. "SBI Group is working to establish the 'SBI APAC Digital Economic Zone,' and believes that enabling seamless transactions across borders and currencies lies at the heart of this vision. In particular, ensuring seamless convertibility between yen-denominated and U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins is essential." Startale CEO Sota Watanabe echoed this aggressive market positioning. He emphasized that the yen and the dollar are two of the most trusted currencies globally. Connecting them natively onchain unlocks massive institutional opportunities. However, significant technical and regulatory hurdles remain. This announcement details an exploratory pilot. It is not the launch of a live commercial service. True interoperability requires deep liquidity pools to handle massive institutional order flow. The project must establish exactly how foreign exchange pricing will be calculated onchain. Smart contract security, cross-jurisdictional compliance, and institutional custody models must all be bulletproof before production begins. For now, the financial sector is watching closely. Stablecoins are no longer just a fiat off-ramp for crypto day traders. They are rapidly becoming the underlying infrastructure for global corporate treasury operations. If SBI and Startale can successfully bridge JPYSC and OUSD, they will create a highly efficient financial corridor. The old correspondent banking model might soon face an existential threat. For information purposes only. Crypto carries risk. Not financial advice!

SBI Holdings and Startale join Open Standard, advancing global interoperability between JPYSC and OUSD. Oct. 15, 2026, 09:00 PM Tokyo, Japan, October 16th, 2026, Chainwire Both companies to explore pilot connecting yen-denominated stablecoin JPYSC with U.S. dollar stablecoin Open USD (OUSD), marking the first step toward frictionless yen-dollar settlement, onchain and in real time. SBI Holdings, Inc. ("SBI") and Startale Group Pte. Ltd. ("Startale") today announced they have joined Open Standard, the fast-growing alliance of more than 140 leading global companies, including Visa, Stripe, Mastercard, BlackRock, and Coinbase, driving the adoption of Open USD (OUSD), a U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoin built for global-scale settlement. As part of this move, the two companies will explore interoperability between OUSD and JPYSC, the yen-denominated trust-type stablecoin issued by SBI Shinsei Trust Bank. The public launch of OUSD onchain provides a foundation for this partnership, with the companies working toward faster, more efficient settlement between the world's two most-traded currencies. A pivotal moment for onchain finance. The move comes as the global financial system undergoes a historic shift toward blockchain-based settlement. Landmark U.S. legislation, namely the GENIUS Act, has accelerated the build-out of regulated, enterprise-grade stablecoin infrastructure worldwide. In June 2026, this momentum culminated in the launch of Open Standard, uniting more than 140 companies spanning finance, payments, and technology behind a single mission: establishing OUSD as a common settlement layer for the onchain economy. SBI and Startale have been at the forefront of this transformation in Asia. In July 2026, SBI Global Asset Management, DigiFT Tech Pte. Ltd., and Startale unveiled a proof-of-concept for settlement and distribution payments on tokenized securities, a project designed with JPYSC's future utility in mind. Startale has continued to broaden JPYSC's real-world use and to build institutional-grade trading infrastructure, extending onchain finance well beyond payments. Against this backdrop, SBI and Startale see growing interoperability between JPYSC and OUSD as a powerful lever, one capable of streamlining yen-dollar settlement and unlocking new use cases for stablecoins across the onchain financial landscape. With OUSD now publicly launched, the companies will explore concrete opportunities to advance this vision. Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman and President, SBI Holdings, Inc. "As onchain finance continues to evolve, cross-border transactions will become increasingly prevalent. SBI Group is working to establish the 'SBI APAC Digital Economic Zone,' and believes that enabling seamless transactions across borders and currencies lies at the heart of this vision. In particular, ensuring seamless convertibility between yen-denominated and U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins is essential. Our participation in Open Standard and exploration of a proof of concept for interoperability between OUSD and JPYSC represent an important step toward achieving this goal. SBI Group has already become the first in Japan to offer the U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins USDC and RLUSD, and will continue to promote the broader adoption of digital assets through collaboration with leading partners in Japan and overseas." Sota Watanabe, CEO, Startale Group Pte. Ltd. "Our participation in Open Standard reflects the shared conviction of SBI and Startale that the future of finance is onchain, borderless, and interoperable by design. We see the opportunity to pilot interoperability between JPYSC and OUSD as highly significant. The yen and the dollar are two of the world's strongest and most trusted currencies and enabling them to be exchanged and utilized seamlessly onchain could unlock significant opportunities. By working closely with the SBI Group and Open Standard's partner companies, we aim to connect Japanese assets and financial services with global onchain markets through the creation of concrete use cases and help build that future." Looking ahead. By joining Open Standard, SBI and Startale are positioning JPYSC for deeper integration with global stablecoin infrastructure, a move aimed at strengthening the international liquidity of yen-denominated assets. The companies will continue to deepen collaboration with Open Standard's global partner network, working within applicable regulatory frameworks to build a safe, trusted, and truly interoperable stablecoin ecosystem for the onchain era. Note: This announcement relates solely to the exploration of a pilot. It does not represent the launch of a new commercial service, nor the start of production settlement or trading activity About Open USD (OUSD). Open Standard is the company behind Open USD (OUSD). Its mission is to build internet-native money, enabling all businesses to move money on infrastructure that's cheaper, faster, more global and more programmable. Over 200 financial institutions, fintechs, banks, and global businesses have signed up to add OUSD to their platforms and benefit from low fees, shared rewards, and representative governance. Open Standard was started in 2026 and its founding partners include Coinbase, Mastercard, Shopify, Stripe, and Visa. About JPYSC. JPYSC is a yen-denominated, trust-backed stablecoin issued by SBI Shinsei Trust Bank, Limited, structured in full compliance with Japan's Payment Services Act and trust law framework. Designed as core infrastructure for onchain yen settlement, funds transfer, and distribution, JPYSC is positioned to support tokenized asset trading and cross-border payments at scale. Contact. Startale Marketing Team [email protected] Sponsored Financial Content Reconnecting is easier in Punta Cana.Some trips are about seeing places. Others are about finding yourself. At TRS Turquesa Hotel, you get both. Enjoy exclusive suites, spa, and gourmet dining that you'll remember forever.Palladium Hotel Group | Sponsored