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Sony, the Japanese entertainment and technology giant known for its PlayStation empire and anime hits, is getting into the stablecoin business. It aims to introduce a digital asset backed by the U.S. dollar as early as fiscal 2026. Led by Sony Bank, a part of Sony Financial Group, this endeavor is a planned step into blockchain-based financial services. The goal is to make payments easier for its huge digital ecosystem. A Nikkei Asia report from December 1, 2025, says that the bank is setting up a separate U.S. corporation to manage the project. They even filed for a banking license in October. Sony is working with Bastion, a U.S.-based stablecoin issuer, to use this token to cut down on the use of traditional credit cards and lower transaction costs for its American consumers, who make up more than 30% of the group’s external revenue.
The announcement comes at a time when the stablecoin market has grown to $291 billion in capitalization, with USD-pegged assets like Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC at the top. For Sony, whose gaming revenue is $10 billion a year and whose anime streaming services are growing, this isn’t just about following the crypto hype; it’s a smart move to make payments safer in a digital-first world where gamers and content consumers want smooth, low-cost transactions.
Sony Bank’s Plans for Stablecoins
Sony’s main goal is to make stablecoin payments a part of its products, such buying things in games on the PlayStation Network or subscribing to Crunchyroll anime. The yet-to-be-named token will be pegged to the US dollar at a 1:1 ratio, which will keep it stable for everyday use and use blockchain for almost fast transactions. By setting up a U.S.-based business, Sony Bank avoids some legal problems, making the stablecoin easier to follow standards like the GENIUS Act, which made stablecoin issuance rules clearer in July 2025.
Bastion is the technological backbone of the partnership. As a registered issuer under New York’s BitLicense framework, Bastion takes care of the infrastructure for minting, redemption, and compliance. This includes holding 1:1 reserves in cash equivalents and Treasuries. This design lets Sony focus on the user experience. For example, you might quickly add stablecoins to your PSN wallet with a QR scan, avoiding the 2–5% costs that Visa and Mastercard charge. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) received Sony Bank’s licensing application in October, which shows that the company is serious about the token’s distribution by April 2026.
Sony has tried blockchain before. In January 2025, Sony Block Solutions Labs showed off Soneium, an Ethereum Layer-2 network made just for creators, communities, and fans. Soneium focuses on making NFTs for gaming assets and fan tokens for anime shows. In its early tests, it handled 500,000 transactions per month. The stablecoin would make this even better by allowing easy micropayments, like $0.99 for an episode or in-game skins, without having to worry about converting.
Targeting Sony’s Digital Environment
Sony makes more than $25 billion a year from its gaming and entertainment businesses. The U.S. contributes a lot of that money through PlayStation Plus (47 million users) and Sony Pictures’ streaming services. Traditional payment methods, which are full of costs and delays, cut into profits. A 2024 Deloitte analysis found that global digital content fees were 15–20%, costing $50 billion a year. Stablecoins might get that back, with costs around 0.1% and availability 24/7.
For gamers, the token offers rapid top-ups across borders. For example, a Japanese player can buy U.S.-priced DLC without paying extra for foreign exchange, and the payment is settled in seconds through Soneium. Anime fans on Crunchyroll could pay for each episode with USD-pegged tokens, which were worth a small amount. This fits with Sony’s Web3 goal. Soneium’s 2025 pilot with Square Enix tokenized Final Fantasy assets and made $100 million in NFT sales. The stablecoin would make this possible by allowing creators to get royalties directly on-chain.
Bastion’s job is to make sure that it can grow: Its infrastructure can handle 10,000 TPS on Ethereum L2s, and it has built-in compliance for KYC and AML, which is important because regulators like the EU’s MiCA want audits. Sony Bank’s U.S. branch, which may be a national trust bank, would handle reserves, combining the stability of fiat money with the speed of blockchain.
Wider Effects on Stablecoins and Digital Payments
As the stablecoin market grows into a $291 billion powerhouse that will handle $46 trillion in transactions in 2025—more than Visa and PayPal combined—Sony joins the fray. The vast majority of tokens (99.7%) are pegged to the US dollar, however yen-based tokens like Japan’s JPYC (introduced in October 2025) are aimed for specific markets. Sony’s concentration on the U.S. dollar takes advantage of its global presence and might bring in 5–10% of its $10 billion U.S. gaming revenue through effective micropayments.
Visa’s four-stablecoin expansion and Mastercard’s $2 billion Zerohash proposal show that there is a competition for the $150 trillion cross-border market. This is bad news for payment incumbents. For Asia, where Grab’s StraitsX alliance is looking into Web3 wallets, Sony might inspire localized plays. For example, picture tokenized anime royalties going to producers in Indonesia or Thailand.
There are a lot of risks, like Terra’s $40 billion wipeout in 2022 and the fact that the U.S. Clarity Act is still being worked on. This means that reserves need to be very strong. Sony’s bank support helps with this, but people need to trust the system for it to work. Gamers who are worried about crypto’s volatility may stick to cards.
Conclusion
Sony Bank’s launch of a USD stablecoin, which is set to happen in 2026 through a cooperation with a U.S. company and Bastion, makes the tech giant a leader in digital payments and cuts costs for the gaming and anime industries. Along with Soneium’s L2 for creators, it might make $5–10 billion in efficient transactions possible, which would put it in direct competition with Visa and Mastercard in a $291 billion stablecoin boom. This is not hype; it’s a necessary step forward because it may cost the U.S. 30% of its revenue. But there are still worries about regulatory mazes and depeg; success depends on a smooth user experience. For bitcoin, it’s just another TradFi bridge. Look for micropayment revolutions in 2026.
