Mercari, the e-commerce giant in Japan, has announced that it will accept Bitcoin (BTC) payments starting from June 2024. As early as next summer, users will be able to purchase products available in the app using BTC.
Summary
Japan: e-commerce Mercari to accept Bitcoin (BTC) payments from June 2024
According to reports, it seems that Mercari, one of the largest Japanese e-commerce platforms, will accept Bitcoin (BTC) payments starting from June 2024.
Basically, starting from next summer, users will be able to purchase products available in the marketplace app directly in BTC.
This was made possible thanks to the crypto-exchange Melcoin, based in Tokyo, a subsidiary of Mercari, which will handle bitcoin transactions.
Specifically, on the marketplace app, the prices of the products will be displayed in Japanese yen, with the possibility to pay in bitcoin.
Not only that, sellers will continue to receive the BTC paid in legal currency, because Melcoin will convert everything into fiat currency in real time.
Japan: Mercari e-commerce that accepts Bitcoin (BTC)
Launched in 2013, Mercari is one of the largest consumer-to-consumer e-commerce markets in Japan, with 22 million monthly users and a utilization rate of 94%.
With these numbers, this announcement would become an opportunity to encourage the adoption of Bitcoin in the technological nation.
Anyway, this is not the first time that Mercari relies on BTC and crypto. In fact, recently, the company launched the crypto-trading service Mercari Bitcoin, which allows users to buy and sell BTC using the proceeds from sales on the platform.
Not only that, the e-commerce giant’s loyalty program is also focused on cryptocurrencies and allows users to exchange their points for crypto.
“Bitcoin Adoption Fund” by Japanese bank Nomura
Still in Japan, at the end of September, news had leaked that Nomura’s subsidiary for digital assets, Laser Digital Asset Management, had launched the Bitcoin Adoption Fund for institutional investors.
This is a significant initiative in the country, as it represents the recognition of Bitcoin by one of the Japanese financial giants.
And indeed, the banking giant with assets of over 500 billion dollars, Nomura, with its new fund, has started offering direct exposure to BTC. It is precisely about providing a long-only exposure to Bitcoin.
For this operation, Nomura’s subsidiary seems to have chosen Komainu for the custody of the crypto.
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