Press Conferences,Press Conference by KATAYAMA Satsuki, Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Financial Services (September 29, 2026)

(Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 10:55 pm to 11:11 pm)

Today, we decided on the fourth project to receive support under the Payment Innovation Project, commonly known as PIP, which the Financial Services Agency launched last November. I would like to report on this decision. This time, we will support a proof-of-concept experiment involving trade settlement using blockchain technology. In trade transactions, many procedures among importers, exporters, financial institutions, and other parties are still conducted through the exchange of paper documents. In this proof-of-concept experiment, these trade-related documents will be brought on-chain. In addition, the experiment will examine whether the exchange of documents can be linked with payment by connecting the process with a stablecoin that three megabanks and other entities are jointly working to issue. The FSA views this as a positive initiative aimed at making trade practices even more efficient and advanced through the use of on-chain processes. We would therefore like to support the implementation of the proof-of-concept experiment, including by providing assistance with the interpretation of laws and regulations. However, as this is a highly technical matter, I would appreciate it if you could direct any further questions to our officials.