Japan stablecoin payments advance with Lawson trial, Netstars launch
Lawson will test yen-denominated stablecoin payments at a Tokyo store in August, using HashPort’s non-custodial wallet and POS system so customers can pay without merchants handling crypto wallets. The pilot, run with HashPort and KDDI at the Lawson Takanawa Gateway City store, will evaluate checkout flow, processing speed, wallet usability and integration needs for broader retail use. Separately, Netstars launched Stablecoin Pay, a merchant service for accepting USDC, USDT and JPYC via Solana and Polygon, with MetaMask support and a 0.98% fee. Merchants can keep pricing, records and settlement in yen while accepting stablecoins, reducing exposure to crypto management and exchange-rate handling. Both moves reflect Japan’s expanding regulated stablecoin market under laws that created a formal framework for fiat-linked stablecoins and intermediary registration.
