Key Takeaways
- Sony Bank is developing a U.S. dollar-linked stablecoin planned for 2026.
- The token is expected to support payments for PlayStation games, anime content and subscription services.
- Sony aims to cut card-processing fees and speed up digital transactions for U.S. users, who make up about a third of its external sales.
- Technical specifications, including the blockchain choice, remain under discussion as the company shapes the project.
Sony Bank, the online banking arm of Sony Financial Group, is reportedly preparing to roll out a U.S. dollar-linked stablecoin that would be used across several of Sony’s entertainment services. The bank is working toward a launch in 2026, with the United States set as the first market.
According to a Nikkei report, the planned token would allow users to pay for PlayStation games, anime content and subscription products directly through Sony’s own payment rails.
The move is part of a wider push within the company to bring financial technology deeper into its entertainment operations. With the U.S. generating about a third of Sony’s external revenue, the market offers a strong incentive to try payment tools that can speed up purchases and reduce costs.
Sony has not disclosed which blockchain it intends to use, and people familiar with the matter say technical details are still being shaped. However, the token, is meant to support everyday transactions across the company’s platforms rather than serve as a limited pilot.
From Early Blockchain Pilots To Full Web3 Strategies
Sony’s engagement with blockchain technology began well before the current wave of Web3 development. In 2017, Sony Corporation and Sony Global Education created a blockchain system designed to manage and share student learning data and digital transcripts across institutions.
The following year, Sony, Sony Music Entertainment Japan and Sony Global Education expanded that work into digital rights management, unveiling a platform built to protect and distribute rights for music and other creative content.
By 2019, Sony Global Education and Fujitsu were running field trials that used blockchain to handle course records and grade management for international students, reinforcing Sony’s early focus on education and credential verification as a proving ground for the technology.
By 2022, Sony’s interest in blockchain had expanded beyond small tests, as Sony Interactive Entertainment put forward patents describing ways to use blockchain and NFTs to verify and move digital items inside games. Rather than a standalone experiment, the filings hinted at possible links to the PlayStation ecosystem.
By late 2023 and into 2024, Sony’s blockchain strategy took a more defined shape. The company formed a joint venture with Startale called Sony Block Solutions Labs and began developing Soneium, a public Ethereum layer-2 network using the OP Stack. This chain was positioned as a broad platform for gaming, entertainment and financial applications. In 2025, the ecosystem expanded with the launch of the “Soneium For All” incubator, backed by Sony Innovation Fund, to attract developers building consumer-facing apps.
Taken together, these ventures show how far Sony has travelled from its early blockchain trials. The group has moved from academic pilots and rights-management tools to dedicated Web3 infrastructure, strategic partnerships and now a payment token designed for everyday use. The stablecoin proposal signals that Sony is no longer treating blockchain as a side project but as a functional layer that could support a significant share of its digital business.
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