Key facts
- Shinhan Card and SBI VC Trade will test yen stablecoin payments.
- The initiative aims to improve payment convenience for travelers and speed up trade settlement.
- Anti-money-laundering and fraud-detection controls will be assessed.
South Korea's Shinhan Card announced Wednesday that it signed an agreement with Japan's SBI VC Trade and SBI XDC Network APAC to test yen stablecoin payments for travelers and cross-border trade settlement. The pact, signed Tuesday, will involve testing stablecoin card payments, wallet-to-wallet payments, and cross-border trade settlement, alongside assessments of anti-money-laundering and fraud-detection controls. Shinhan Card is a major South Korean credit card issuer, while SBI is a Japanese financial conglomerate. The initiative aims to enhance cross-border payment convenience between the two East Asian nations. Travel between Japan and South Korea saw over 10 million visitor arrivals in the first eight months of 2026, with South Koreans being Japan's largest source of foreign visitors.