SBI Ripple Asia has completed development of its XRPL token issuance platform and secured official registration as a third-party prepaid payment instrument issuer under Japan’s Payment Services Act. The registration was confirmed on March 26, 2026. It gives the Tokyo-based company direct legal authority to issue tokenized prepaid instruments on a public blockchain.
The official announcement from SBI Group states the system connects to existing applications and websites through API, allowing businesses to add token functionality without rebuilding their customer-facing products. Users interact through platforms they already know. The blockchain layer stays in the background.
Built for Shops, Hotels, and Tourist Zones
SBI Ripple Asia CEO Masashi Okuyama confirmed the company is targeting specific economic zones, with tourism destinations named as a primary use case. The system pairs consumer spending with digital incentives, essentially turning local economic activity into programmable reward flows. Merchants join without switching their existing infrastructure.
That design matters for regional economies. A tourist area could issue destination-specific prepaid tokens, track spending, and reward repeat visits, all running on XRPL’s settlement rails. Businesses in accommodation, dining, and retail plug in through API rather than replacing point-of-sale systems. The cost barrier to entry drops sharply.
The platform was built on XRP Ledger because of its speed and transaction economics. XRPL settles in three to five seconds with near-zero fees, according to SBI Ripple Asia’s technical documentation. The company combined that infrastructure with its own proprietary wallet control technology to meet the financial regulation requirements tied to prepaid instrument issuance.
Japan’s Payment Services Act Sets the Bar
Registration under Japan’s Fund Settlement Act is not a light requirement. The law governs non-bank payment and money transfer services with strict operational and compliance conditions. Clearing this registration means SBI Ripple Asia’s system has already passed the legal bar needed to distribute tokenized prepaid instruments to real users.
As Cryptobless7070 posted on X: “SBI Ripple Asia has JUST ANNOUNCED the COMPLETION of its XRPL Token Issuance Platform. It is officially registered as a Third-Party Prepaid Payment Instrument Issuer under Japan’s strict Payment Services Act!”
Cryptobless7070 added on X that the platform brings regulated, enterprise-grade tokenized payments directly onto the XRP Ledger. The post put the significance plainly. This is not a pilot announcement or a memorandum of understanding. The system is built. The legal status is active.
SBI Ripple Asia was founded in 2016 as a joint venture between SBI Holdings and Ripple, focused on blockchain-related solutions across Japan and South Korea. Cross-border payments and digital asset infrastructure have been its core work. This platform marks its first move into regulated consumer-facing token issuance.
What Comes Next for XRPL’s Japan Footprint
The company’s statement said it would work with partner businesses and local communities to build new business models using the completed infrastructure. No partner names or launch timelines were disclosed in the April 7 announcement.
What’s already in motion matters. SBI Ripple Asia is running a separate study with DSRV on cross-border payment flows between Japan and South Korea using XRPL. SBI VC Trade separately added RLUSD to its Japan offering after coordination with Ripple. The pieces are building toward a broader XRPL-denominated financial layer across the region.
For businesses in Japan’s tourism sector, the timing lines up with an industry looking for digital tools that do not require complete infrastructure overhauls. The API-first design answers that directly. Token infrastructure reaches merchants without disrupting what they already run.
