Building on the launch of the Cardano Card and the debut of SecondFi, the partnership brings the card to Japan in partnership with Slash Vision Labs, giving Japanese users a way to spend stablecoins across Japan’s existing payment ecosystem, including through QR payment services that support linked card payments.

SecondFi, the self-custodial neofinance platform from EMURGO, a co-founding entity of the Cardano blockchain, today announced a partnership with Slash Vision Labs to launch the Cardano Card in Japan, with Slash serving as the card program manager in the Japanese market.

The partnership combines Slash’s proprietary stablecoin payment infrastructure, designed for the operational and regulatory requirements of the Japanese market, with the Cardano Card ecosystem to enable seamless real-world payment experiences through existing card and payment networks in Japan. The collaboration is intended to help make stablecoin-based payments more accessible and practical for everyday use, and this synergy provides the Cardano Card with a clear trajectory into Japan. 

Japan is one of the most established crypto markets in the world, with a long-standing ADA holder base, a clear regulatory framework, and a digital-payments culture that has been ahead of most other major economies for decades. The Slash partnership opens up Japan to the users of SecondFi’s self-custodial neofinance platform.

Slash Vision Labs is a Japan-focused fintech company building stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure for everyday consumer use. Through its flagship product, Slash Card, the company is developing a locally compatible framework that connects stablecoin balances with Japan’s existing payment and card ecosystems.

Unlike many global crypto card products, the collaboration is specifically designed around the operational and regulatory requirements of the Japanese market, including local payment infrastructure, settlement flows, financing mechanisms, and user onboarding standards. Through the partnership, Slash Vision Labs’ infrastructure will support the Cardano Card, enabling users to access real-world spending experiences tailored for the Japanese market.

What Japanese Cardholders Can Do

By integrating Slash’s payment infrastructure with SecondFi’s neobank ecosystem, the partnership is designed to bridge the gap between onchain finance and everyday real-world spending for Japanese users. Through this partnership, Japanese cardholders will be able to:

• Seamlessly use their crypto for payments at physical and online retailers.

• Use their card seamlessly across major Japanese QR code payment and digital payment services.

• Benefit from a secure and compliant infrastructure tailored for the Japanese local market.

A Foundational Market for Cardano

Japan has been central to Cardano from the start. It is one of the longest-standing ADA holder bases in the world, with a mature crypto market, a clear regulatory framework, and a digital payments culture that has long been ahead of most other major economies. The partnership with Slash is designed to meet that community where it already is, by connecting SecondFi to the merchants, QR payment apps, and consumer habits that define daily spending in Japan. For EMURGO, the launch represents a long-anticipated step in deepening its commitment to the Japanese market.

Since Cardano’s journey began in Japan, we have always wanted our Japanese ADA holders to be able to do more than just hold and stake. Partnering with Slash, a leading crypto-native payments infrastructure provider in Japan, is a natural pathway for us to deepen our commitment to this foundational market. Following the successful launch of the Cardano Card and the debut of SecondFi, expanding into Japan’s vibrant blockchain community was the clear next step.”

— Phillip Pon, CEO of EMURGO

“Stablecoins have the potential to become part of everyday payments, but delivering that experience in Japan requires infrastructure designed specifically for the local market. We are excited to partner with EMURGO and SecondFi to help bring practical, real-world stablecoin utility to users across Japan.”

— Shinsuke Sato, CEO of Slash Vision Labs

Designed for Mass Adoption

The Cardano Card in Japan is built to make crypto practical for everyday use, without requiring prior experience with onchain tools. SecondFi users in Japan will manage spending, saving, and payments from a single account, with the convenience of a card that connects directly to the country’s most-used payment systems.

The Cardano Card is coming soon for Japanese users, please join the waitlist to be notified first, visit secondfi.io.

About SecondFi

SecondFi is a self-custodial neofinance platform built for spending, trading, earning, and saving, with users in control. One app, one account, fully yours. The future is onchain. SecondFi is how you get there. For more information, visit secondfi.io.

About EMURGO

EMURGO is a co-founding entity of the Cardano Blockchain that drives the commercial adoption of blockchain technology and asset tokenization. Through strategic investments, partnerships, and infrastructure development, EMURGO connects traditional finance and Web3, enabling trust, scalability, and the tokenization of real-world assets.

Neither EMURGO nor SecondFi acts as a regulated financial service provider; any regulated services, where available, are provided by third-party providers responsible for their own licensing and compliance

About Slash Vision Labs

Slash Vision Labs is a Japan-focused fintech company building stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure for everyday consumer use. Through its flagship product, Slash Card, the company is developing systems that connect stablecoin balances with Japan’s existing payment and financial infrastructure in a locally compatible manner. The company focuses on enabling practical real-world stablecoin usage through card payments, payment integrations, and consumer financial experiences designed around the operational and regulatory requirements of the Japanese market. For more information about Slash Card, visit https://pre-card.slash.vision/.

Disclaimer

This announcement is for general informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, investment, financial, accounting, regulatory, or other professional advice, and it is not an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or invitation to buy, sell, hold, use, or transact in any digital asset, stablecoin, security, payment service, remittance service, card program, investment strategy, or other regulated product or service. Users should review all applicable terms, disclosures, and risk information before using any product or service described.

This release has been prepared and provided by SecondFi. The statements and descriptions herein reflect SecondFi's current view of the partnership with Slash and are provided for general informational purposes only. EMURGO and SecondFi are not licensed or authorized to provide regulated financial, payment, remittance, exchange, custody, securities, investment, banking, or advisory services in all jurisdictions. Any regulated service, where available, is provided by appropriately licensed, registered, exempt, or otherwise authorized third-party providers, and only where it may lawfully be offered. Availability of any product, card, feature, asset, payment route, compatibility with QR payment ecosystems or card-linked payment services, merchant acceptance, digital-asset functionality, or other service may vary by jurisdiction and user eligibility. Access may depend on onboarding, sanctions screening, KYC / AML checks, partner approval, applicable law, platform terms, liquidity, network conditions, operational limits, and other restrictions. References to Japan, merchants, QR payment apps, payment methods, assets, or use cases are illustrative only and do not guarantee availability to any user or in any jurisdiction.

Digital assets, including stablecoins, involve significant risks. They may be volatile, lose value, fail to maintain an intended reference value, or be affected by network, protocol, smart-contract, cybersecurity, counterparty, liquidity, operational, or regulatory risks. Digital assets may not be protected by deposit insurance, investor compensation, or similar protection schemes.

This announcement is not intended for any jurisdiction or person where its publication, distribution, or use would be unlawful or would require licensing, registration, approval, or other authorization that has not been obtained. Users should review the applicable terms, risk disclosures, and eligibility requirements before using any product or service described.