TLDR
- AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings plans to pay around 2,300 contractors and truck drivers using the JPYC yen stablecoin
- This will be the first large-scale corporate use of JPYC in Japan
- The company is considering a 1 billion yen ($6.2 million) investment in JPYC Inc.
- Faster, fee-free payments aim to attract more drivers amid Japan’s logistics labor shortage
- JPYC’s onchain circulation has surpassed 2 billion yen ($12.3 million) since launching last October
AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings, a Japanese logistics company that counts Amazon Japan among its clients, plans to use the JPYC yen-pegged stablecoin to pay thousands of contractors and truck drivers.
AZ-COM Maruwa to Use JPYC in Japan’s First Large-Scale Corporate Rollout
According to Nikkei, major Japanese logistics group and Amazon delivery partner AZ-COM Maruwa plans to use yen-backed stablecoin JPYC to pay approximately 2,300 partner carriers and independent drivers.… pic.twitter.com/vubH9WH1cv
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 19, 2026
The company intends to roll out JPYC payments to roughly 2,300 business partners, making it the first large-scale corporate adoption of the stablecoin in Japan, according to a Nikkei Asia report.
JPYC is the first yen-pegged stablecoin officially registered in Japan. It does not charge transfer fees, which allows payments to be made faster and more frequently than traditional bank transfers.
AZ-COM Maruwa is also reportedly considering a formal partnership with JPYC Inc., along with an investment of over 1 billion yen, equivalent to around $6.2 million.
Why Stablecoins Appeal to Logistics Firms
Japan’s logistics industry is dealing with a serious labor shortage. An aging workforce and stricter overtime regulations for truck drivers have made it harder for companies to retain and attract contractors.
By offering faster digital payments through JPYC, AZ-COM Maruwa hopes to become a more attractive option for independent drivers and business partners.
“We will continue to advance the integration of logistics and commercial payment flows with JPYC,” said Noritaka Okabe, founder and CEO of JPYC Inc.
JPYC Gaining Ground in Japan
JPYC launched last October and has been expanding steadily. Its onchain circulation has now crossed 2 billion yen, or approximately $12.3 million.
Earlier this month, convenience store chain Lawson, Japan’s third-largest, announced a pilot to let customers pay with JPYC.
Metaplanet Ventures, the investment arm of bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet, put 400 million yen into JPYC Inc.’s Series B round back in March.
Traditional financial institutions are also moving into the stablecoin space. SBI Group launched JPYSC in June, positioning it as Japan’s first trust bank-backed yen stablecoin.
Three of Japan’s largest banks — MUFG, SMBC, and Mizuho — announced plans last month to begin live commercial transactions using a jointly issued stablecoin during fiscal year 2026.
The AZ-COM Maruwa deal would mark a new phase for JPYC, moving from retail and investment use cases into large-scale business-to-contractor payroll payments.
If the investment and partnership go ahead, it would deepen JPYC Inc.’s ties with one of Japan’s mid-sized logistics operators and potentially set a template for similar deals in the sector.
