Key Highlights
- Bitget Wallet explores stablecoin payments in Japan by linking crypto wallets to existing QR systems.
- Netstars’ QR network could let USDT and USDC work at stores without changing merchant setups.
- APAC QR payments grow rapidly, making stablecoins usable in daily spending, not just crypto settlements.
Bitget Wallet is exploring the integration of self-custodial crypto payments into Japan’s stablecoin payment ecosystem through discussions with Netstars, a payment infrastructure provider that operates one of the country’s most widely adopted QR payment aggregation networks. The initiative, announced on April 8, 2026, centers on how Web3 wallets can connect to existing merchant networks in one of the world’s most advanced cashless markets.
As per the release shared with The Crypto Times, the discussions are taking place under Netstars’ “StarPay-X” concept, a financial gateway designed to connect Web2 payment infrastructure with Web3 systems, including wallets, stablecoins, and blockchains. Under the framework, the two parties are evaluating how wallet-based payments can be embedded into real-world QR payment flows, with a focus on in-store payments and cross-border transactions. Netstars’ network currently connects multiple domestic and international payment methods across Japanese merchants.
The talks build on Bitget Wallet’s broader push into everyday commerce. Last week, the company expanded its QR payment capabilities across Asia-Pacific, enabling users to pay with stablecoins such as USDT and USDC by scanning local merchant QR codes. The rollout was one of the first large-scale deployments of crypto QR payments in the region, designed to integrate with existing payment behaviors rather than introduce new checkout systems.
Linking wallets to QR payments
Japan is a key market in that transition. Cashless payments have reached nearly 40% of total transactions in the country, and QR-based payments are among the fastest-growing segments. Platforms such as PayPay and LINE Pay together serve tens of millions of users and are accepted across millions of merchants nationwide. The ecosystem remains fragmented across providers, but QR aggregation layers such as Netstars have enabled standardization at the merchant level, creating a unified interface for multiple payment methods.
Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet said, “QR payments are already a dominant interface in many Asian markets. The opportunity is to make self-custodial assets usable within that experience, without changing how users or merchants transact.”
The initiative is backed by Bitget Wallet’s Onchain Payments Matrix, the company’s underlying payment infrastructure connecting blockchains, wallets, and regional payment rails.
The discussions come against a backdrop of rising wallet-based payment activity across Asia-Pacific. Digital wallets accounted for 38% of global point-of-sale spend in 2024, while in APAC they represented 59% of transaction value and were the leading online payment method in eight of 14 markets tracked by Worldpay. The region also accounted for more than 60% of global QR payment activity in 2025, with total QR payment value projected to grow from $5.4 trillion in 2025 to over $8 trillion by 2029.
Navigating regional regulatory hurdles
While the Japanese expansion highlights Bitget’s push into compliance-friendly infrastructure, the broader exchange network continues to navigate complex regional regulations.
Most recently, on February 6, 2026, Bitget paused new user sign-ups in India to ensure full alignment with local Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) guidelines. While existing Indian users can continue to trade, deposit, and withdraw without interruption, the pause underscores the strict regulatory environment global crypto platforms must maneuver as they build out their real-world utility.
By embedding stablecoins into established retail networks like Netstars, Bitget Wallet aims to prove that digital assets can smoothly co-exist with fiat in the world’s most advanced cashless economies.
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