Isabella García
SBI Group has entered a strategic partnership with Chainlink to accelerate the growth of blockchain, tokenization, and digital assets across Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. Announced on August 24, the collaboration merges SBI’s deep financial expertise with Chainlink’s trusted infrastructure for secure data, interoperability, and institutional-grade DeFi solutions.
The initiative is designed to boost the adoption of tokenized funds, real-world assets such as real estate and bonds, and regulated stablecoins. SBI highlighted that Japan’s maturing financial markets and expanding digital asset ecosystem provide a strong foundation for piloting large-scale tokenization projects.
Chainlink Infrastructure at the Core
As part of the agreement, SBI and its network of financial partners will integrate key Chainlink services:
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Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP)
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SmartData (NAV)
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Proof of Reserve
These tools are expected to increase liquidity in secondary markets, improve operational efficiency, and enable secure cross-border settlements.
Strong Market Demand for Tokenized Securities
A survey conducted by SBI Digital Asset Holdings found that 76% of Japan’s financial institutions plan to invest in tokenized securities, citing benefits such as greater efficiency and portfolio diversification. However, the lack of institutional-grade infrastructure remains the biggest barrier — a gap SBI believes Chainlink can close.
A Vision for Compliance and Cross-Border Stablecoin Payments
Yoshitaka Kitao, CEO of SBI Holdings, emphasized that the partnership reflects a commitment to compliance-driven digital asset frameworks. By combining SBI’s market reach with Chainlink’s secure data infrastructure, the companies aim to deliver solutions that enable cross-border stablecoin-powered transactions.
Building on Ripple Collaboration
This announcement follows SBI’s recent memorandum of understanding with Ripple to introduce the RLUSD stablecoin in Japan. Together, these efforts underline SBI’s ambition to position itself as a leader in advancing tokenization and digital assets across both Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific market.
