PANews reported on February 5th that Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings, in collaboration with blockchain R&D company Startale Group (the team behind Sony's Layer 2), has jointly developed a Layer 1 blockchain network called Strium. This network is specifically designed to support on-chain securities trading and aims to become the "foundational trading layer" for the Asian on-chain securities market, providing 24/7 trading capabilities and DeFi composability.

Previously, SBI and Startale announced a collaboration in August 2025 to develop a yen-based stablecoin and RWA trading platform, aiming to achieve instant cross-border settlement, fragmented ownership, and compliant on-chain transactions. Strium's proof-of-concept was released today, demonstrating its key technological capabilities, including settlement efficiency, resilience under high load, and interoperability with traditional financial systems and blockchain networks.

In addition, Startale recently received a $13 million investment from Sony to develop the Ethereum Layer 2 project Soneium and operate Astar Network, Japan's largest public blockchain. SBI Holdings has increased its investment in the crypto space, including investing in Circle's IPO and developing a crypto ETF that may be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.