SBI, Sony back Startale’s $63 million push to expand Japan’s tokenized finance stack

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email SBI, Sony back Startale’s $63 million push to expand Japan’s tokenized finance stack The Singapore-based company builds blockchain tools for financial firms and retail users, including a blockchain for tokenized securities, stablecoins, and a consumer app. By Francisco Rodrigues | Edited by Sheldon Reback Mar 25, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Make us preferred on Google (Roméo A./Unsplash) What to know : Startale Group closed a $63 million Series A funding round, with investments from SBI Group and Sony Innovation Fund. The Singapore-based company builds blockchain tools for financial firms and retail users, including a blockchain for tokenized securities, stablecoins, and a consumer app. The funding will be used to scale Startale's products, including expanding tokenized securities trading, stablecoin adoption, and developing the Startale App into a broader platform for asset management and onchain services Startale Group said it closed a $63 million Series A round, adding $50 million from SBI Group to a $13 million first close from Sony Innovation Fund in January. The Singapore-based company, which operates in Japan, builds blockchain tools for both financial firms and retail users. Its products include Strium, a blockchain for tokenized securities and other real-world assets, yen stablecoin JPYSC, dollar stablecoin USDSC and the Startale app, a consumer app tied to Sony-backed layer-2 network Soneium . The funding brings together Startale’s two most important strategic partners, the firm said. SBI has worked with the company on Strium and JPYSC, while Sony has backed Startale through its investment arm and its work on Soneium. The round reflects Startale’s push to build across several layers of the onchain economy, from financial infrastructure and settlement tools to end-user applications. Startale said it will use the funding to scale Strium for tokenized securities and real-world asset trading, expand adoption of JPYSC and USDSC and develop the Startale app into a broader platform for asset management, payments and onchain services to become a “SuperApp.” CEO Sota Watanabe said the company will also use the funding to push tokenized stocks tied to Japanese equities and expand yen stablecoin adoption this year. The round lands as Japan works to test how blockchain systems can connect to existing financial infrastructure. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said earlier this year she fully supports crypto trading integration into the country’s stock exchanges. Tokenization Stablecoins Funding Rounds More For You Solana bets on AI agents: Foundation says network is becoming core infrastructure for ‘agentic’ internet By Margaux Nijkerk | Edited by Stephen Alpher 24 minutes ago This shift could fundamentally reshape internet business models, Solana Foundation's Vibhu Norby believes. What to know : The Solana Foundation says the network has already processed 15 million on-chain agent payments, with stablecoins emerging as the default payment rail for AI-driven compute and services. The foundation argues agentic payments and AI-native tooling could reshape internet monetization and lead to a future where crypto transactions come mostly from... Read full story Latest Crypto News Solana bets on AI agents: Foundation says network is becoming core infrastructure for ‘agentic’ internet 24 minutes ago Sky-backed Obex spreads $1 billion across credit, energy and AI assets to expand stablecoin yield 26 minutes ago The Protocol: Ethereum faces make-or-break moment as scaling, quantum and AI pressures mount 1 hour ago Binance tightens market maker rules, tells token issuers they must disclose partners 1 hour ago Circle selloff may be overdone as crypto bill weakens Coinbase edge, say analysts 1 hour ago Ethereum Foundation prepares for quantum threat with new cryptography roadmap 1 hour ago Top Stories Bitcoin’s refusal to fall signals crypto's underlying strength even as war risks linger 5 hours ago Franklin Templeton puts its $1.7 trillion weight behind Ondo to bring 24/7 stock trading to the blockchain 1 hour ago Crypto giant debuts oil trading, but it's a different model to Hyperliquid's perps 10 hours ago Gold’s longest losing streak in a century meets bitcoin’s resurgence 6 hours ago UK political crypto donations banned by Starmer government 2 hours ago Bitcoin nears $72,000 as rising open interest signals growing leverage in choppy market 6 hours ago