JCB has reached a cooperation with Circle’s affiliated entities, planning to test USDC payments at a Tokyo store with a high number of foreign tourists before the end of the year and to assess expanding the rollout to more franchise merchants. The pilot is intended to reduce tourists’ currency exchange steps and lower payment fees. JCB previously tested offline payments of USDC and JPYC with Digital Garage, Resona Holdings, and others; Japan has also recently accelerated stablecoin merchant payment trials, including Lawson planning to test JPYC in-store settlement in August. (CoinPost)