Chainlink, SBI Group strike deal to expand tokenized assets in Japan

Chainlink and Japan’s SBI Group have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate institutional adoption of blockchain-based financial products across global markets.

According to an Aug. 25 press release, SBI, one of Japan’s largest financial conglomerates with more than $200 billion in assets, will work with Chainlink (LINK) to roll out institutional-grade infrastructure for tokenized assets.

The partnership builds on growing demand in Japan. 76% of financial institutions surveyed by SBI Digital Asset Holdings stated they intend to invest in tokenized securities due to cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Fixing adoption barrier using Chainkink

The absence of scalable, secure, and compliant infrastructure has been a significant obstacle despite growing interest. By utilizing Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, the partnership seeks to unlock cross-chain tokenized real-world assets including bonds and real estate.

Additionally, the integration will increase liquidity, facilitate more effective fund administration, and bring fund net asset value data onchain.

The partnership will also use Chainlink’s Proof of Reserve to ensure stablecoin reserve transparency while investigating new settlement techniques, such as payment versus payment for foreign exchange and cross-border transactions.

Expanding SBI and Chainlink partnership

Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov said SBI’s adoption of the protocol validates its role as the standard for secure and compliant institutional transactions. SBI chief executive officer Yoshitaka Kitao added that the partnership combines Chainlink’s leading interoperability solutions with SBI’s financial expertise to drive mainstream adoption.

The two companies have previously worked together. Under Singapore’s Project Guardian, SBI Digital Markets, Chainlink, and UBS Asset Management tested automated fund administration in 2023, demonstrating early success in use cases for tokenized funds.

The SBI deal boosts Chainlink’s position in Asia’s rapidly expanding digital asset ecosystem, where it is already used by major financial players like Swift, Euroclear, and Fidelity. For SBI, the move strengthens its commitment to building a global blockchain-powered financial infrastructure.