Hotlink Group's Nonagon Capital Begins Business Partnership with Startale Group to Develop Japanese Yen-Denominated Trust-Type Stablecoin "JPYSC"

Hotlink Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Stock Code: 3680, Group CEO: Yasuhiro Hinono) announces that its group company, Nonagon Capital LLC (Base: San Francisco Bay Area, USA, Representative Executive Officer: Kazushi Okamoto), has commenced a business partnership with Startale Group (Headquarters: Singapore, Representative: Sota Watanabe).

Through this partnership, both companies will jointly promote demonstration experiments and business development utilizing the Japanese Yen-denominated trust-type stablecoin "JPYSC," aiming to create new use cases in the field of AI agent payments.

1. Overview and Features of "JPYSC"
JPYSC is a Japanese Yen-denominated trust-type stablecoin being developed under a strategic partnership between the SBI Group and Startale Group.

JPYSC will be issued by Shinsei Trust & Banking Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SBI Shinsei Bank, as a "Type 3 Electronic Payment Instrument (Trust Type)" based on Japan's financial regulatory framework. The trust framework for underlying assets ensures that users' assets are protected and managed with a high level of security.

The main features of JPYSC include: First, it is designed in compliance with relevant laws and financial regulations as a reliable trust-type Type 3 Electronic Payment Instrument. Second, unlike Type 1 Electronic Payment Instruments, it is not subject to the 1 million yen per transaction limit applicable to domestic remittances. This feature is important for handling inter-company settlements and large-scale transactions at the institutional investor level. Furthermore, its design seamlessly connects existing financial systems with blockchain networks, realizing global interoperability and aiming to be the foundation for a globally trusted "digital yen."

SBI VC Trade Co., Ltd. serves as the sales partner, and Startale Group leads the technical aspects, including smart contract design and security system construction, as a core partner. The official launch is scheduled for April-June 2026.

2. Future Potential of AI Agent Payments
Stablecoins, possessing the nature of legal tender usable in the digital space, have various applications. Among these, they are particularly expected to be widely used for payments by AI agents.

According to the report published by Deloitte, "The future of commerce in an agentic world," the scale of commercial transactions by AI agents is projected to reach 17.5 trillion dollars (approximately 2,700 trillion yen, about 4 times Japan's GDP) by 2030, indicating a very large market.

The role of AI agents is evolving far beyond that of traditional personal assistants, becoming core tools that autonomously support the economic activities of corporations. Particularly in the United States, numerous startups related to AI agent payments are emerging, and major companies are also developing new businesses, forming an unprecedentedly large economic sphere.

The key to this economic sphere is autonomous payment by AI agents. Specifically, this includes the purchase of goods and services without human intervention, AI-driven investment activities, and API payments for services provided between AI agents. As payment behaviors traditionally performed by humans shift to AI, a future is predicted where payments between individuals, corporations, and even AI agents become commonplace.

Our group's Nonagon Capital believes that the intersection of "blockchain" and "AI agents," the field of "Agentic Payment (AI Agent Payments)," is the next-generation economy...