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Digital Garage, in Collaboration with JCB, to Conduct a Proof of Concept (PoC) for In-Store Payments Using Stablecoins at a Lawson Store
Aiming to Enable In-Store Payments (CPM Method) Using "USDC" by Inbound Visitors to Japan
- Digital Garage, Inc. (Digital Garage) and JCB Co., Ltd. (JCB), together with Lawson Inc. (Lawson), are pleased to announce that they have concluded a Basic Agreement toward conducting a proof of concept (PoC) for in-store payments using stablecoins.
Under this agreement, the three companies will combine JCB’s stablecoin payment service, Digital Garage’s technologies related to payment APIs and back-end systems, and Lawson’s expertise in store operations to identify challenges and explore solutions for realizing stablecoin payments at physical stores. The PoC will focus on verifying use cases in which inbound visitors to Japan make in-store payments using the US dollar–pegged stablecoin “USDC.”
Background to the Basic Agreement
As the ratio of cashless payments in Japan continues to rise, physical stores are increasingly accommodating a diverse range of payment methods.
Owing to their high convenience, stablecoins are attracting attention worldwide as a foundation supporting a new ecosystem for a cashless society, and their market size is expanding rapidly. In particular, their application in the payments domain is expected to deliver a wide range of benefits, including reducing the currency-exchange burden on inbound visitors to Japan, further improving the efficiency of fund settlement, and enhancing cash flow for merchants.
By bringing together JCB’s stablecoin payment service, Digital Garage’s technology relating to payment APIs and backend systems, and Lawson’s expertise in store operations and POS systems, the parties reached this agreement in order to conduct a PoC verifying the potential of stablecoin payments at physical stores.
Overview of the PoC
In this PoC, the parties will adopt the CPM (Consumer-Presented Mode) method, in which a barcode containing the stablecoin wallet address information displayed on the user’s smartphone is scanned by Lawson’s in-store POS. Through this, the PoC will primarily verify the practicality and convenience of the use case in which users make in-store payments using the US dollar–pegged stablecoin “USDC.”
In addition, the connection between Lawson’s in-store POS system and JCB’s stablecoin payment service will utilize the code-payment processing technology provided by Canal Payment Service Co., Ltd. The principal roles of each company are as follows:
■ JCB Co., Ltd.
- Provision of the stablecoin payment service, including the following functions and operations:
・Provision of the user-facing web system (payment screen)
・Provision of the payment barcode generation function - Settlement of sales proceeds to merchants:
Receives users’ stablecoins, aggregates the sales proceeds, and subsequently pays merchants in fiat currency.
■ Digital Garage, Inc.
- Provision of payment APIs and backend systems
- Technical support during the PoC period
■ Lawson, Inc.
- Provision of the store environment for this PoC
- Integration between the in-store POS system and JCB’s stablecoin payment service
＜PoC Implementation Summary＞
| Implementation Date | Thursday, August 20, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Target Store | Lawson Gate City Osaki Atrium Branch |
| Primary Target Users | Personnel from JCB, Lawson, and Digital Garage participating in this PoC |
| Supported Wallet | Base App |
| Supported Stablecoin | US dollar–pegged stablecoin “USDC” (Base blockchain) |
| Payment Method | CPM (Consumer-Presented Mode) method |
| Verification Scope | Feasibility of the payment flow; requirements for integration with the POS system; impact on in-store checkout operations; time required to complete a payment; usability of the user-facing web system, among other factors. |
Initiatives Toward the Social Implementation of Stablecoin Payments in Japan
n January 2026, Digital Garage, together with JCB and Resona Holdings, Inc., launched a collaboration toward the social implementation of stablecoin payments (*1). Under this collaboration, the parties are conducting PoCs on stablecoin payments at physical stores to identify and examine solutions to the challenges involved in realizing stablecoin payments among merchants in Japan.
(*1) Press release dated January 16, 2026: “Digital Garage, JCB, and Resona Holdings Launch Collaboration Toward the Social Implementation of Stablecoin Payments” https://www.garage.co.jp/en/pr/release/20260116/
Digital Garage will continue to drive the development of new payment infrastructure for a cashless society, while supporting the evolution of Japan’s payment infrastructure.
ENDS
■ About Digital Garage
Name : Digital Garage, Inc.
Representative : Kaoru Hayashi, Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO
Head office : Digital Gate Bldg., 3-5-7 Ebisu Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Shibuya PARCO DG Bldg., 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Date founded : August 1995
Digital Garage, Inc. is the leading payment service provider in Japan. With the corporate purpose of “Designing ‘New Context’ for a sustainable society with technology,” Digital Garage operates payment business services for various comprehensive payment platforms in Japan. Digital Garage also runs a marketing business providing one-stop solutions in both the digital and real worlds, as well as a startup investment and development business for approaching promising startups and technologies in Japan and overseas. Digital Garage is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (TSE Prime: 4819). For more on Digital Garage, visit garage.co.jp/en