JCB, Digital Garage, and Lawson launch stablecoin payment trial

JCB Co., Ltd., Digital Garage, Inc., and Lawson, Inc. have entered into a basic agreement to conduct a proof of concept (PoC) for in-store stablecoin transactions at physical retail locations. The trial, which commenced on August 20, 2026, at the Lawson Gate City Osaki Atrium branch in Tokyo, focuses on international visitors using the US dollar-pegged stablecoin USDC on the Base blockchain.

The technical implementation utilizes a Consumer-Presented Mode (CPM) where customers display a barcode from a Base App wallet for scanning at the Lawson POS terminal. JCB provides the payment interface and barcode generation, while settling sales proceeds to merchants in Japanese yen. Digital Garage supplies the necessary payment APIs and backend infrastructure, and Canal Payment Service Co., Ltd. provides the code-processing technology to link the POS system with JCB’s service.

The PoC aims to evaluate the feasibility of the payment flow, the impact on register operations, settlement speed, and the overall user experience. This initiative is part of broader efforts to improve cash flow for merchants and reduce the burden of currency exchange for travelers amid the growing stablecoin market.