SBI & Startale's Strium Network: A 24/7 Trading Engine for Tokenized Liquidity

The foundation for a new liquidity engine was laid in early February. SBI Holdings and Startale Group unveiled Strium Network as their joint venture, marking the first major milestone from a strategic partnership announced the previous August. This platform is being built from the ground up as a blockchain-native exchange layer, specifically designed to support the 24/7 trading of tokenized securities and onchain real-world assets.

Strium's architecture is built for institutions, not crypto-native perpetuals. It is engineered to handle both tokenized equities and RWA-linked instruments through continuous spot and derivatives markets. This design aims to advance faster price discovery and deeper liquidity by decoupling trading from traditional banking hours and legacy issuance constraints. The platform's proof of concept is already validating its core technical assumptions for settlement efficiency and interoperability.

This technical backbone is the critical infrastructure for a major market shift. Strium is positioned as the core exchange-layer for the consortium's ambitious 2026 launch, which aims to enable 24/7 tokenized equity trading in Japan. By transforming existing listed shares into security tokens, the initiative promises unprecedented fractional ownership and liquidity, with minimum purchase sizes as low as 1 Japanese yen.

The Flow: 24/7 Trading and the XRP Reward Catalyst

The system's design targets unprecedented retail access, aiming to create continuous liquidity. By enabling trades with minimum purchase sizes as low as 1 Japanese yen, Strium Network removes traditional lot-size barriers. This fractional ownership model is engineered to attract a massive base of small investors, whose constant, low-barrier participation is key to sustaining 24/7 trading volumes and deepening market liquidity.

A direct flow catalyst is being injected through SBI Holdings' novel bond issuance. The company is launching 10 billion yen in tokenized bonds that offer a dual incentive: fixed interest payments and XRP rewards. This program creates a tangible, on-chain demand driver for the network's native assets, as investors are rewarded with XRP for participating in the tokenized bond market.

The broader market context supports this liquidity push. The global tokenized securities market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2026 to 2033, reaching $26.52 billion. Within this, the Asia Pacific region is accelerating faster, with its tokenization market expected to expand at a 21.4% CAGR. Strium's 24/7 Japanese launch is positioned to capture a significant share of this high-growth regional segment.

The Catalyst: Digital Year One 2026 and Regulatory Momentum

The regulatory environment is shifting decisively in Strium's favor. Japan's Finance Minister has declared 2026 as "Digital Year One," signaling a national push to integrate digital assets with traditional finance. This declaration aligns with planned reforms to reclassify digital assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, aiming to boost investments and shift savings into growth sectors. For Strium, this creates a powerful policy tailwind that validates its core thesis of 24/7 tokenized equity trading.

A critical legal hurdle is being addressed head-on. The private sector is mobilizing to draft a "Tokenization Act" within six months to address current legal constraints. This working group, convened by Progmat and backed by Japan's major banks and exchanges, is a direct response to the regulatory lag that has held back the market. Its swift action is essential for providing the clear, standardized framework Strium needs to scale.

The next major legislative watchpoint is the 2026 Ordinary Diet Session. The government plans to submit a bill allowing local governments to issue digital bonds during this session. This use case offers a tangible, low-risk entry point for tokenization, with the potential to attract a broader retail investor base. Early progress here could set a precedent and accelerate the adoption of more complex instruments like tokenized equities on Strium's platform.