Lawson to test stablecoin payments in c-store pilot
HashPort, KDDI and Lawson plan an in-store trial in August 2026 to evaluate stablecoin payments using existing POS systems.
Lawson has signed an agreement with HashPort and KDDI to conduct a technical pilot of Japanese yen-denominated stablecoin payments at convenience stores, marking another step in the exploration of blockchain-based retail payments in Japan.
The trial is scheduled to begin in August 2026 at the Lawson Takanawa Gateway City store in Tokyo. Customers will use HashPort Wallet, a non-custodial digital wallet, to make purchases with yen-backed stablecoins, while transactions will be processed through standard POS systems using HashPort’s merchant solution, HashPort Wallet for Biz.
According to the companies, the pilot aims to assess key operational and technical requirements for stablecoin payments in a physical retail environment. Areas under evaluation include POS integration, checkout procedures, transaction processing times and wallet usability.
The initiative comes as Japan continues to develop its regulatory framework for stablecoins following amendments to the Payment Services Act that took effect in 2023.
The project combines Lawson’s retail and POS expertise, HashPort’s stablecoin payment infrastructure and KDDI’s experience in financial and payment services. Payment processing technology from Canal Payment Services will also be incorporated into the pilot.
Initially, the trial will be limited to selected employees and stakeholders from the participating companies. If successful, the project could provide insight into how stablecoins may be integrated into everyday retail transactions using existing store infrastructure and payment workflows in Japan.
