Bitbank launches bitcoin-linked card for bill payments in Japan

Tokyo-based crypto exchange Bitbank has launched a crypto-linked card in Japan that converts bitcoin to yen when customers make payments. The card is tied to a user’s Bitbank account and is intended to let holders settle routine expenses-such as utility bills, subscriptions and merchant charges that require yen-directly from their bitcoin balances.

Transactions are converted to yen at the time of payment so merchants receive standard fiat settlement. Bitbank said the card will be accepted across the domestic card network and wherever conventional credit or debit cards are used. The product is available to Bitbank customers in Japan who complete required identity verification and account setup.

Bitbank set fees, conversion rates and any spending limits for the card and discloses those terms to cardholders at enrollment. The company described the card as part of its broader payments offering for retail customers and said it will refine features and expand services for account holders, subject to regulatory approvals and market demand.

Under Japanese rules, crypto service providers must register with the Financial Services Agency and follow anti-money-laundering and consumer-protection requirements. Bitbank operates under those regulations and applies the same customer verification and transaction monitoring standards to the card as it does to its exchange services.

The card adds to a small but growing set of payment tools that let crypto holders use digital assets for everyday payments through on-the-spot conversion to fiat currency, allowing users to retain exposure to bitcoin until the moment a purchase is made.