新韩金融借日本子行SBJ加速稳定币试点，与JPYC、LINE NEXT签MOU做账户-钱包概念验证

Shinhan Financial Group is accelerating stablecoin experiments in Japan, drawing on the banking and payments business it has built there. With regulatory groundwork moving slowly at home, the group is seeking hands-on experience and new business opportunities in Japan, where legislation came earlier.
SBJ Bank, the Japanese subsidiary of Shinhan Bank (000010), signed a memorandum of understanding on the 20th with JPYC, an issuer of yen-denominated stablecoins, and LINE NEXT, according to financial industry sources on the 26th.
At the center of the agreement is a proof of concept for linking bank accounts to digital wallets so users can load funds. SBJ will provide accounts and banking infrastructure, JPYC the technology for issuing and redeeming coins, and LINE NEXT its "UNIFY" wallet and blockchain technology. The three companies will jointly design the technical and operational procedures, from account linkage to issuance and wallet integration.
SBJ is the reason Shinhan can use Japan as a base for stablecoin experiments. Wholly owned by Shinhan Bank, SBJ began operations in September 2009 after taking over the Japanese business the bank had built since opening an Osaka branch in 1986. In this collaboration, it supplies bank accounts and infrastructure and verifies how services connect with the local issuer and wallet platform.
Japan's early rollout of a regulatory framework for stablecoins in June 2023 is also an opening for Shinhan, which has a local banking unit. While legislative discussions continue in Korea, the group can review in advance the technical and operational procedures needed to implement such services through its Japanese bank. As domestic lawmakers debate how to allow the issuance and circulation of won-denominated stablecoins, Shinhan can examine those procedures through its local subsidiary in a market where rules are already in place.
For SBJ, the experiment is also a chance to win new customers. If account-linked loading services are commercialized, the bank could use them to draw digital wallet users into bank accounts. Alongside the trial, SBJ signed a separate strategic partnership with LINE NEXT to discuss joint marketing and business development. After the proof of concept, the two will also consider commercializing new financial services, including remittances and payments.
Shinhan Card (032710) recently signed agreements with SBI VC Trade and SBI XDC Network APAC, both part of Japan's SBI Group. The companies plan to examine whether yen stablecoins can be connected to existing in-store payments and to verify usage procedures and the technical and operational structure. They will also check whether Japanese visitors to Korea can pay with yen stablecoins as easily as with existing cards.
Cross-border trade settlement is also under review. The companies plan to look at whether linking conventional international remittance methods with digital asset infrastructure can improve payment efficiency. SBJ is examining the connection between bank accounts and wallets, while Shinhan Card is looking at consumer payments and business-to-business settlement. Both collaborations are at the stage of technical verification and business feasibility review, and any actual service launch will depend on the trial results and related procedures.
"Japan is a good market for building experience in linking stablecoins to actual financial services, because its rules were put in place first," one financial industry official said. "Shinhan has a local bank and account infrastructure, so it has the advantage of being able to examine everything from technical verification to customer acquisition and business viability."