Japan's SBI VC Trade, under the SBI Holdings financial group, will launch USDC lending services in 2026, providing users with annualized returns. This is Japan's first lending service targeting stablecoins, with an anticipated annual interest rate of 5%. This service not only introduces new yield options but also expands the financial applications of stablecoins, demonstrating Japan's emphasis on the legitimacy and operational standards for stablecoin utilization.

Japan's financial group SBI Holdings subsidiary SBI VC Trade plans to launch USDC lending services starting March 19, 2026, becoming the first licensed operator with stablecoins as the underlying asset. This service offers an annualized interest rate of up to 10%, with expectations to stabilize at 5% in the future. The service expands stablecoin applications from a medium of exchange to financial instruments, demonstrating Japan's strategy of establishing legislation first before opening up the market, promoting legality and adoption in its stablecoin market.

SBI VC Trade announced the launch of USDC lending services starting March 19, 2026, with an annualized interest rate of up to 10%. This is Japan's first stablecoin lending service, designed to apply digital dollars to yield generation, while emphasizing that users need to bear platform risk. The service complies with Japan's stablecoin legal framework, symbolizing a further increase in the legitimacy and adoption of stablecoins in the local market.

SBI Holdings’ crypto arm, SBI VC Trade, is rolling out a USDC lending product in Japan, enabling retail users to lend Circle’s stablecoin to the platform under fixed-term agreements in exchange for interest. The offering limits per-user exposure to 5,000 USDC, with the loan treated as an asset to SB

Japan's SBI VC Trade, under the SBI Holdings financial group, will launch USDC lending services in 2026, providing users with annualized returns. This is Japan's first lending service targeting stablecoins, with an anticipated annual interest rate of 5%. This service not only introduces new yield options but also expands the financial applications of stablecoins, demonstrating Japan's emphasis on the legitimacy and operational standards for stablecoin utilization.

A Cointelegraph Research survey reveals that 75% of venture capital funds plan to maintain or increase their cryptocurrency investments by 2026, reflecting a dominant trend toward holding rather than withdrawing.

SBI Holdings’ crypto arm, SBI VC Trade, is rolling out a USDC lending product in Japan, enabling retail users to lend Circle’s stablecoin to the platform under fixed-term agreements in exchange for interest. The offering limits per-user exposure to 5,000 USDC, with the loan treated as an asset to SB

Well-known cryptocurrency broker BlockFills suspended customer withdrawals in February due to the cryptocurrency market crash and filed for Chapter 11 reorganization with the Delaware bankruptcy court. The company's liabilities range between $100 million and $500 million, with major creditors including SBI VC Trade and Nexo Capital. BlockFills hopes to preserve enterprise value and enhance stakeholder returns through supervised reorganization.

Tokyo-listed Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet has established two new wholly-owned subsidiaries—Metaplanet Ventures and Metaplanet Asset Management—as part of an expanded strategy to deepen its footprint in Japan's digital asset ecosystem.

Author: TinTinLand Over the past year, there has been a clear shift in the global venture capital market: capital is flowing into AI at an unprecedented rate, while investment in the crypto industry has noticeably slowed down. Let's look at two sets of data: On one side is the crypto market: the total number of global crypto VC investments in 2025 dropped from approximately 2,900 deals to 1,200 deals, a decline of over 60%. On the other side is the AI market: according to OECD data, the global VC investment in AI reached $258.7 billion in 2025, accounting for 61% of the total global venture capital, whereas in 2022, this proportion was only 30%. This structural gap is driving a number of established crypto VCs to quietly shift their focus and start deploying capital into the AI track. On February 28, according to industry media reports, top crypto VCs