SBI VC Trade, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, will soon offer trading for Circle's USDC stablecoin.

This follows changes in Japan's regulations, allowing foreign stablecoins to enter the market under a licensed framework.

SBI Holdings subsidiary SBI VC Trade will soon offer trading for Circle’s USDC stablecoin following changes in Japan that brought foreign stablecoins to the country in a licensed framework.

SBI VC Trade Secures Registration for USDC Transactions

Announced on March 4, SBI VC Trade has completed the first registration required for transactions of stablecoins. This approval will allow the platform to begin processing USDC transactions in Japan.

Following this registration, SBI VC Trade is expected to be one of the first financial platforms in Japan to offer cryptocurrency trading in USDC. The company confirmed that it will launch a trial phase for select users on March 12 before expanding USDC trading to a wider audience.

However, Japan also made adjustments to its regulations in 2023 to allow foreign stablecoins, which has brought USDC to SBI VC Trade. As a result of this, the Japanese market has seen the introduction of such international stablecoins in a regulated manner.

SBI VC Trade CEO Tomohiko Kondo announced on X, formerly Twitter, that “our company is the first and only” in Japan to acquire such a license for stablecoin. SBI VC Trade will keep working on full-scale USDC support, he added.

Announcing the milestone, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said that USDC is “the first and only global dollar stablecoin approved for use in Japan.” He added that SBI is the first firm in the country to gain authorization to list and distribute USDC.

Japanese Regulators Support Stablecoin Transactions

On the same day as SBI VC Trade’s announcement, Financial Services Agency (FSA) Commissioner Hideki Ito expressed support for stablecoins at the Fin/Sum 2025 event during Japan Fintech Week.

“Stablecoins are effectively used to improve remittance and settlement. I hope to see their adoption,” said Ito, as reported by Nikkei. His comments suggest support for stablecoins in Japan’s financial sector.

In February, the FSA approved a report from a working group recommending policy changes to ease stablecoin regulations. This has opened the door for companies to introduce stablecoin trading services in a regulated manner.

SBI Expands Crypto Offerings with USDC

SBI VC Trade is known for expanding its cryptocurrency offerings and already has relationships with some of America’s biggest blockchain operators, including Ripple.

Currently, the platform supports several cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin (BTC) and XRP. Some users are expecting to be able to trade or pay with a regulated stablecoin which they can add via USDC.

SBI VC Trade’s latest move aligns with Japan’s broader efforts to integrate stablecoins into the financial sector, ensuring compliance with local regulations while offering new digital asset services to users.