Chainlink partners with SBI Group to expand RWA tokenization in Japan

Chainlink has announced a strategic collaboration with SBI Group, one of Japan’s largest financial conglomerates with over $200 billion in assets, to advance cross-chain tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs), tokenized funds, and regulated stablecoins. The partnership leverages Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), SmartData, and Proof of Reserve to deliver secure, scalable, and compliant blockchain infrastructure for institutional-grade digital assets. The initiative is expected to enhance operational efficiency, liquidity, and transparency in tokenized financial instruments [1].

The collaboration will initially focus on the Japanese market, where there is growing interest in tokenized securities. According to a survey conducted by SBI Digital Asset Holdings, 76% of financial institutions in the region plan to invest in tokenized securities due to their potential to reduce costs and improve settlement efficiency [2]. SBI and Chainlink will also explore cross-border payment mechanisms, including payment versus payment (PvP) protocols for foreign exchange transactions [3].

Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, emphasized that SBI’s adoption of CCIP validates the protocol’s role in facilitating institutional-grade digital asset transactions. He noted that the partnership represents a shift toward production-level deployment of tokenized fund and stablecoin solutions [4]. SBI CEO Yoshitaka Kitao highlighted the synergy between Chainlink’s technical capabilities and SBI’s financial industry expertise, which together aim to drive mainstream adoption of blockchain-based financial products [5].

The partnership builds on a prior collaboration in Singapore under Project Guardian, a joint initiative with SBI Digital Markets, UBS Asset Management, and Chainlink to automate fund administration for tokenized assets. The success of that pilot has paved the way for broader institutional use cases, including enhanced settlement mechanisms and compliance-driven asset management [6].

This move comes amid increased interest from central banks in RWA tokenization. Last week, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller revealed that the U.S. central bank is exploring the technical aspects of tokenizing real-world assets using smart contracts [7]. Meanwhile, the global RWA tokenization market has reached an all-time high on-chain value of $26.5 billion, according to RWA.xyz, though it remains a small fraction of the global traditional finance market [8].

Chainlink’s native token, LINK, has seen a recent resurgence, rising over 40% in the past month as RWA tokenization narratives gain traction. While the token has consolidated around $26 recently after climbing from below $16 earlier this month, it remains down more than 50% from its peak over four years ago. Analysts suggest the recent institutional partnerships could provide further upward momentum for the asset [9].

Sources:

[1] CryptoPotato, https://cryptopotato.com/chainlink-partners-with-sbi-group-for-cross-chain-tokenized-rwas/

[2] AInvest, https://www.ainvest.com/news/sbi-group-chainlink-partner-tokenize-assets-enhance-institutional-adoption-2508/

[3] Crypto News, https://crypto.news/chainlink-sbi-group-tokenized-assets-japan-2025/

[4] FXStreet, https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/chainlink-partners-with-japans-sbi-group-focusing-on-defi-use-cases-202508250430

[5] AInvest, https://www.ainvest.com/news/japan-financial-giant-chainlink-forge-path-16t-rwa-future-2508/

[7] Coinpedia, https://coinpedia.org/news/chainlink-partners-with-sbi-group-to-lead-japans-tokenization-wave/

[9] FXLeaders, https://www.fxleaders.com/news/2025/08/25/chainlink-holds-above-25-as-strategic-sbi-group-partnership-unlocks-asia-pacific-defi-expansion/