SBI Holdings is partnering with Startale Group to build Strium Network, a Layer 1 network supporting Tokenize shares with 80 million existing customers, and a testnet is about to be deployed.
SBI Holdings , a major Japanese financial conglomerate based in Tokyo, is partnering with Startale Group, the blockchain research and development company behind Sony's Layer 2 , to build Strium, a Layer 1 network specifically designed to support real-world assets on the chain with a focus on Tokenize securities.
This move comes amid a surge in interest in on- chain stocks, as crypto-based businesses like Kraken, fintech companies like Robinhood, and even traditional institutions like the NYSE are accelerating the development of 24/7 blockchain securities trading capabilities.
The Strium team stated that, unlike other crypto-native perpetual contract platforms primarily focused on digital assets, Strium serves the global Capital market through a native blockchain exchange architecture, fostering faster market formation, deeper liquidation , and scalable global accessibility without being constrained by direct asset issuance or custody.
SBI and Startale first announced a partnership in August 2025 for a chain real-value asset trading platform, offering access to US, Japanese, and other stocks with near-instantaneous cross-border settlement times, sharding, and integration with DeFi.
Leveraging 80 million customers and organizational capabilities.
Sota Watanabe, founder of Startale Group, believes the entire financial market is shifting from an Off-Chain to an on- chain environment, with the Tokenize stock revolution being the biggest opportunity. He argues that this is not just about digitizing existing assets but about creating entirely new financial principles, merging the trustworthiness of traditional stocks with the coherence and accessibility of DeFi.
Startale recently raised an additional $13 million from Sony while expanding the functionality of Soneium, a Layer 2 Ethereum blockchain co-developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, which also operates the Astar Network, described as the largest public blockchain in Japan.
Strium Network is positioned as the platform-based exchange for Asia's on- chain securities market, leveraging SBI Holdings' existing 80 million customers and its institutional expertise in securities, banking, and financial services.
The testnet is expected to be deployed soon, and the proof-of-concept model will demonstrate key technical capabilities related to settlement efficiency, high load resilience, and interoperability with both traditional financial systems and blockchain networks.
SBI has been increasing its cryptocurrency activity in recent months, including investing $50 million in Circle 's initial public offering and developing cryptocurrency ETFs that could be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
