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Japan Accelerates Move to Cashless Society, BOJ Pushes for Payment Innovation

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Japan is rapidly shifting towards a cashless society, prompting the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to intensify efforts to modernize the country’s payment systems. Cashless payments accounted for 42.8% of transactions in 2024, surpassing the government’s 40% target a year ahead of schedule and marking a significant jump from just 13.2% in 2010.

Traditionally reliant on physical currency, Japan’s growing cashless trend is pushing policymakers to adapt to changing consumer preferences, including the possible introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). While no decision has been made on issuing a digital yen, the BOJ began a pilot program in 2023, collaborating with private firms and the government on its design and implementation.

BOJ Executive Director Kazushige Kamiyama highlighted concerns over potential future declines in banknote usage due to digitalization, emphasizing the need for a retail payment system that is efficient, accessible, and secure. Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida echoed this, noting that a CBDC could become a crucial infrastructure for Japan’s payment landscape, but said cash is unlikely to disappear soon.

Uchida also warned that the yen’s dominance as a payment instrument depends on public trust in the BOJ’s ability to maintain price stability. Should confidence falter, alternative forms of payment, such as cryptocurrencies, could gain ground.

The focus on CBDCs is part of a global trend amid growing cryptocurrency use and moves by other nations. While the U.S. government banned the Federal Reserve from issuing a digital dollar earlier this year, the European Central Bank advocates for a digital euro to reduce reliance on U.S. payment providers. Meanwhile, China aggressively promotes its digital yuan internationally, with transaction volumes more than tripling from mid-2023 to mid-2024.

Japan’s push signals its determination to modernize payments and keep pace with global developments in digital currency and cashless transactions.

Philippine Fintech GCash Plans Up to $1.5 Billion IPO, Sources Say

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GCash, a leading Philippine fintech company, has enlisted major banks, including Citi, Jefferies, and UBS, to assist in a potential initial public offering (IPO) that could raise as much as $1.5 billion. If successful, the IPO would mark the largest ever in the Philippines, surpassing the $1 billion IPO of food company Monde Nissin in 2021.

The IPO is tentatively scheduled for the second half of 2025 or 2026, depending on market conditions. However, GCash’s listed affiliate, Globe Telecom, stated that no final decisions have been made about the IPO at this time, but the company is preparing for an IPO when the right opportunity arises.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that banks including Citi, HSBC, Jefferies, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and UBS have been appointed for the IPO. Although the involved banks declined to comment, the move has raised significant interest, especially as the Southeast Asian IPO market saw a 43% drop in total proceeds in 2024.

GCash is a dominant player in the Philippines’ cashless ecosystem, offering services such as money transfers and bill payments. In 2023, GCash’s parent company, Globe Fintech Innovations (Mynt), raised investments from Ayala Corp and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, giving the fintech company a valuation of $5 billion, more than double its previous valuation.