Announcement of Business Alliance Agreement with KDDI and Establishment of New Company with KDDI and au Financial Holdings

Coincheck, Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Satoshi Hasuo; hereinafter, "the Company"), which operates "Coincheck," a crypto asset exchange service with the "No. 1* active users and app downloads in Japan," announced today the completion of a business alliance agreement (hereinafter, "the Alliance") with KDDI Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President, and CEO: Koji Matsuda; hereinafter, "KDDI"). Furthermore, the Company also announced the establishment of a new company with KDDI and au Financial Holdings Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President: Takafumi Ishizuki; hereinafter, "au Financial Holdings") to promote non-custodial wallet services.

Background and Measures of the Alliance

KDDI not only provides communication services but also operates "au PAY," a smartphone payment service with approximately 39.67 million members, giving it one of the largest customer bases in Japan in the financial payment sector. Meanwhile, the Company, as a crypto asset exchange operator, possesses the largest customer base in Japan in addition to offering a wide range of services.

By combining the strengths of both companies, it will be possible to expand access to digital assets, including crypto assets, for users in the au economic zone. This initiative aligns with the Company's mission of "making new value exchange more accessible." Through this Alliance, including collaboration with services like au Jibun Bank and Ponta points, we aim to create opportunities for more users to access digital assets in their daily lives within the various services of the au economic zone.

Through the alliance, KDDI and the Company aim to contribute to the sound development of the digital asset market and will commence concrete collaborations.

As a first initiative, a campaign for customers who open a Coincheck account via au-related services will be implemented in the near future. Details of the campaign will be announced as soon as they are finalized.

Background and Outline of New Company Establishment

In the crypto asset market, the demand for non-custodial wallets, where users manage their own assets, is increasing due to progress in regulatory整備 and changes in market conditions regarding stablecoins.

In light of this environment, the Company, along with KDDI and au Financial Holdings, has established a new company, "au Coincheck Digital Assets Corporation" (hereinafter, "the New Company").

In this New Company, we will combine KDDI's customer touchpoints and the Company's expertise in crypto assets to promote a non-custodial wallet business that anyone can easily use.

Overview of New Company "au Coincheck Digital Assets"

au Coincheck Digital Assets is a new company established with the aim of realizing an environment where digital assets, including crypto assets and stablecoins, can be used more readily, centered on a non-custodial wallet provided as a mini-app within au PAY.

Traditional non-custodial wallets have hurdles in initial adoption, such as wallet creation. Furthermore, to start using them, users need to purchase crypto assets at an exchange and send them to the wallet, and coupled with a complex UX, there was a challenge that they were difficult to penetrate among users not well-versed in crypto assets.

The New Company will promote the creation of a new user experience that seamlessly connects crypto asset storage to daily use within the au economic zone, which has one of Japan's largest user bases, through its non-custodial wallet service.

Through these initiatives, we aim to lower the hurdles for au economic zone users to utilize wallets and expand the scope of crypto asset and stablecoin utilization in Japan.

Company Name: au Coincheck Digital Assets Corporation

Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Michihiko Kasai

Formation: December 2025

Business Overview: Planning, development, and operation of non-custodial wallets and digital financial-related services

Representative Comments on the Alliance and New Company Establishment

Comment on Business Alliance

Comment by Shunpei Tatebayashi (Deputy Head of Open Innovation Promotion Division, KDDI Corporation):

We are very encouraged to partner with Coincheck, which operates "Coincheck," one of Japan's largest crypto asset exchange services, and possesses deep knowledge and proven track record in the crypto asset and blockchain domains, and to start new initiatives. The environment surrounding crypto assets and next-generation finance continues to change due to institutional development, technological advancements, and the stage of social acceptance. We recognize that ensuring safety and reliability, in addition to convenience and innovativeness, is crucial for their utilization.