Key facts
- SBI Group and Kyobo Life Insurance completed a pilot project for direct cross-border fund transfers between Japan and South Korea using JPY and KRW stablecoins.
- The pilot project eliminated the need for US dollar conversion in yen-to-won stablecoin exchanges.
- The firms used Canton Network as the test environment for the proof-of-concept.
- The project is expected to reduce time, costs, and exchange rate risks in cross-border institutional fund transfers.
- Ripple and SBI have collaborated since 2016, with SBI Holdings holding a 9% stake in Ripple.
- Ripple and Kyobo are also piloting tokenized Korean government bond settlement on Ripple Custody.
Ripple's long-term ally SBI Group and its partner Kyobo Life Insurance have successfully completed a proof-of-concept project for direct cross-border fund transfers between Japan and South Korea using JPY and KRW stablecoins. The initiative, which began in July and utilized the Canton Network, demonstrated the ability to exchange yen-linked stablecoins directly for won-linked stablecoins without the need for US dollar conversion.
Previously, such transactions required converting yen to US dollars and then to won, a process that incurred additional time and costs. The firms stated that this new model is expected to significantly reduce these factors, along with exchange rate risks, for institutional fund transfers. The project also validated an operational model for handling digital assets transferred from overseas and their settlement funds domestically.
SBI and Kyobo Life Insurance have indicated plans for further collaboration within the Web3 ecosystem, focusing on areas such as Japan-South Korea digital asset exchanges, asset management, and the development of new business models. Ripple continues to expand its presence in Asian markets, driven by growing adoption and regulatory developments in cross-border payments, custody, and tokenization.