JCB and Circle begin USDC pilot for business and retail payments

JCB has partnered with Circle to test USDC for internal treasury transfers and merchant payments in Japan, extending stablecoin use into cross-border corporate settlement and retail transactions.

A July 14 statement from JCB said the Japanese payments company has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Circle affiliate to develop payment services using USD Coin (USDC), Circles dollar-backed stablecoin.

The first phase of the partnership will focus on a proof of concept for JCBs internal cross-border treasury operations. The companies also plan to evaluate stablecoin payments at physical stores for merchants and international visitors travelling in Japan.

Alongside the pilot, the two firms said they will assess other payment services that combine Circle‘s stablecoin infrastructure with JCB’s merchant network to support cross-border transactions and new payment options for businesses and consumers.

Coming days after Circle secured a key U.S. banking approval, the agreement adds another institutional payments partnership to the stablecoin issuers recent expansion efforts.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted final approval for Circle National Trust, placing the companys national trust bank under federal supervision. Circle said the institution will initially provide fiduciary digital asset custody services for the company and its affiliates, while future plans could include managing reserves backing USDC, although no timeline has been announced.

Outside the United States, Circle has also continued building relationships with regulated financial institutions. Standard Chartered recently introduced a service through its Dubai International Financial Centre operations that allows eligible institutional clients to mint and redeem USDC directly through the banks platform. BNY has also added USDC to its digital asset custody platform, enabling institutional clients to mint and redeem the stablecoin through its infrastructure.

Japan agreement follows Asia expansion

The JCB partnership comes as Circle continues pursuing new institutional relationships across Asia.

Later this month, the company will host its invitation-only Current Seoul event, bringing together executives from banks, crypto exchanges, payment companies and technology firms to discuss digital asset regulation, cross-border payments and industry partnerships.

During an April visit to South Korea, Circle co-founder and CEO Jeremy Allaire met executives from KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, Upbit, Bithumb, and several payment companies to discuss potential cooperation through the Circle Payments Network for international payments.

Competition in the stablecoin sector has also intensified in recent weeks. Open USD, a competing dollar-backed stablecoin model, launched with a revenue-sharing structure that distributes reserve income among participating members.

However, several South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, Dunamu, Shinhan Financial Group, and K Bank, later told local media they had not formally agreed to join the consortium despite being listed as participants.