TL;DR:
- Japan launched a pilot project to manage sovereign bonds as digital collateral using blockchain on the Canton Network.
- Mizuho, Nomura, JSCC and Digital Asset Holdings participate in the PoC, selected by Japan’s FSA in February 2026.
- The trial seeks to enable real-time collateral transactions around the clock, including cross-border operations with international actors.
Japan announced the launch of a proof-of-concept (PoC) project aimed at managing Japanese government bonds —known as JGBs— as digital collateral on a blockchain network.
The initiative was jointly announced by Mizuho Financial Group, Nomura Holdings, Japan Securities Clearing Corporation (JSCC) and Digital Asset Holdings (DA), and was selected by Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) in February 2026 as part of the Payment Innovation Project (PIP).
The chosen infrastructure is Canton Network, a blockchain designed specifically for institutional finance and developed with DA’s support. The PoC will seek to verify, from a legal and operational perspective, whether the transfer of rights and the updating of records within a hierarchical structure involving multiple account management institutions can be executed seamlessly through blockchain technology, all within the framework established by Japan’s Act on Book-Entry Transfer of Corporate Bonds and Shares.
Japan: Operations Without Pause and Without Borders
One of the project’s central objectives is to enable real-time collateral transactions around the clock, seven days a week, without operational interruptions. This represents a substantial improvement over traditional collateral management schemes, which operate within restricted time windows. The PoC also contemplates cross-border operations between domestic and international actors; the use cases also involve clearing houses, institutional investors, clients and agents.
Beyond the immediate operational benefits, participants noted that the initiative aims to deepen coordination between JGBs and other digital assets, including those of a natively digital nature. The reduction of administrative tasks related to the constitution and substitution of collateral is one of the main expected impacts, both in terms of operational efficiency and cost reduction for financial institutions and investors. The project will also assess whether internal regulations need to be amended and what functional improvements will be required to move toward eventual commercialization.
