Binance Pay opens USDT spending at PayPay merchants in Japan via HIVEX
Binance Pay started letting eligible overseas visitors spend USDT at most PayPay merchants in Japan through HIVEX, with merchants still settling in yen.
Why it matters
The integration extends Binance Pay's stablecoin utility to a large domestic merchant network in Japan without those merchants adopting crypto payment infrastructure, and CoinGape links it to Binance's wider Japanese position, citing PayPay's 40% stake in Binance Japan and Binance's $100M Circle investment. Japan residents are locked out of the initial rollout, so the near-term effect is confined to inbound travel spending rather than domestic use.
Where the sources disagree
Reach of the rollout across PayPay's merchant base
the vast majority of PayPay-supported merchants
Cointelegraph, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
millions of PayPay supported merchant locations
Crypto.News
Cointelegraph and its syndicated copy describe coverage as the vast majority of PayPay-supported merchants, while Crypto.News says millions of PayPay locations and no outlet publishes a specific merchant count.
Additional launch terms reported by only one outlet
limited-time 10% instant discount; zero gas fees
CoinGape
no discount or gas fee terms reported
Cointelegraph, Crypto News (CryptoNews.net), Crypto.News, Bitcoin Insider
CoinGape reports a limited-time 10% instant discount and zero gas fees at checkout, which Cointelegraph, Bitcoin Insider, Crypto News and Crypto.News do not mention.
Key facts
Binance Pay began letting eligible overseas visitors spend USDT at most PayPay-supported merchants in Japan on 30 September 2026.
Reported by Cointelegraph
The service runs through HIVEX, a payment interoperability framework that connects overseas QR payment services to PayPay merchants.
Reported by Cointelegraph
HIVEX was developed by TBCASoft.
Reported by CoinGape
Merchants continue to receive settlement in Japanese yen rather than digital assets.
Reported by Cointelegraph
Merchants do not need to opt in separately to accept Binance Pay payments.
Reported by Cointelegraph
Binance says the service is the first crypto payment service to access PayPay-supported merchants through HIVEX.
Reported by Cointelegraph
Japanese residents are excluded from the 30 September rollout.
Reported by Crypto.News
What happened
From 30 September 2026, eligible overseas visitors to Japan can pay with USDT held in Binance Pay at most merchants that accept PayPay, scanning the merchant's PayPay QR code or presenting a payment code in the app. The route runs through HIVEX, a payment interoperability framework developed by TBCASoft that already links nine overseas QR payment services, mainly from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, to PayPay's merchant base. Merchants keep receiving settlement in Japanese yen and do not need to opt in, according to Binance, which told Cointelegraph it is the first crypto payment service to reach PayPay-supported merchants through HIVEX. Binance said on 30 September that roughly 48 million Binance Pay users in more than 100 countries and regions are covered, though Japanese residents are excluded from the launch. CoinGape adds that the rollout carries a limited-time 10% instant discount and that Binance states zero gas fees apply at checkout, details the other outlets do not mention. What is not settled in the reporting is how much of PayPay's footprint is actually reachable: Cointelegraph says the vast majority of PayPay-supported merchants, Crypto.News refers to millions of PayPay locations, and neither gives a merchant count.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by Cointelegraph
Binance Pay lets visitors spend USDT at PayPay merchants in Japan
- Update
Cointelegraph reports the Binance Pay and PayPay integration
Eligible overseas visitors can spend USDT at most PayPay-supported merchants through HIVEX, with merchants settling in yen.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by Crypto.News
Binance Pay brings crypto spending to millions of PayPay merchants in Japan
- Official statement
Binance states the eligible user base and the exclusion of Japanese residents
Binance said on 30 September that roughly 48 million users in more than 100 countries and regions are covered, with Japanese residents left out of the initial rollout.
- Update
CoinGape reports the discount, gas fee and TBCASoft details
Adds a limited-time 10% instant discount, zero gas fees at checkout, HIVEX as a TBCASoft framework, and PayPay's 40% stake in Binance Japan alongside Binance's $100M Circle investment.
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 30 Sept 2026, 02:25 UTC: Cointelegraph — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 30 Sept 2026, 02:39 UTC: Bitcoin Insider — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 30 Sept 2026, 07:08 UTC: Crypto.News — 3 independent sources, 4 reports
- 30 Sept 2026, 08:11 UTC: CoinGape — 4 independent sources, 5 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: Hong Kong, Coinbase, United States, USD Coin, Ripple, Base, Mastercard
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cointelegraph Crypto media | Binance Pay lets visitors spend USDT at PayPay merchants in Japan | Original | |
| Crypto.News Crypto media | Binance Pay brings crypto spending to millions of PayPay merchants in Japan | Independent | |
| CoinGape Crypto media | Binance Pay Opens USDT Spending at PayPay Merchants Across Japan | Independent | |
| Bitcoin Insider Aggregator | Japan’s PayPay Merchants Now Accept USDT via Binance Pay | Syndicated | |
| Crypto News (CryptoNews.net) Aggregator | Binance Pay lets visitors spend USDT at PayPay merchants in Japan | Syndicated |
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