SBI Digital Trust Advances Cross-Border Payment Verification for Stablecoins Between Japan and South Korea

SBI Digital Trust Co., Ltd. signed a basic agreement on October 1 with South Korean payment service provider NICE Information & Communication and South Korean blockchain infrastructure firm DSRV. The three parties will jointly verify the commercialization of cross-border transfers and payments between Japan and South Korea using stablecoins. The verification will take Japanese tourists making QR code payments at NICE Information & Communication-affiliated merchants during their trips to South Korea as the application scenario, aiming to explore stablecoin cross-border payment solutions. Key verification areas include fund flow mechanisms, transfer and payment instruction systems, and inter-system connectivity, with the project expected to be completed by the end of December 2026. Specifically, SBI Digital Trust will leverage its expertise in Japan’s regulatory and financial sectors to design the payment scheme; NICE Information & Communication will contribute its merchant network and payment operation experience; DSRV will handle blockchain technology-related research. The three parties noted that they will evaluate future commercialization directions based on the verification results, and continue to explore stablecoin-related application scenarios in consideration of changes to regulatory frameworks in both countries.