Building the Future of Web3 in Japan with Japan Smart Chain

A recap of the Neko Talk Twitter Spaces with Curvegrid and United Neko Alliance

Over two insightful Twitter Spaces hosted by the United Neko Alliance, Curvegrid co-founder and Japan Smart Chain (JSC) Chief Architect, Jeff Wentworth, shared a deep look into the vision, architecture, and regulatory strategy behind JSC. These conversations, held on March 11 and May 26, offered rare early access into one of Japan’s most important blockchain initiatives to date.

Why Japan Smart Chain?

JSC is Japan’s answer to the global rise of sovereign digital infrastructure. JSC was designed to serve as Japan’s own Layer 1 blockchain: an Ethereum-equivalent chain optimized for Japan’s legal, technical, and operational landscape.

As Jeff explained, JSC is a response to Japan’s unique needs:

• Many Japanese companies are eager to build in Web3, but lack a secure, compliant foundation to do so.
  
  
• Existing global chains cannot provide guarantees around data sovereignty or regulator alignment.
  
  
• Japan’s regulatory clarity presents a major opportunity, if the infrastructure can match.

JSC offers just that: a sovereign L1 blockchain, validated entirely onshore by major Japanese companies, and tailored to Japan’s security, identity, and compliance standards.

What makes Japan Smart Chain unique?

JSC is not a fork of Ethereum. It is a fully Ethereum-equivalent blockchain that maintains tooling compatibility while offering features that global chains cannot deliver:

• Validator Sovereignty: All 21 validator nodes are operated by Japanese enterprises and located in Japan.
  
  
• Regulatory Compliance: The chain is designed from the ground up to align with Japanese laws, particularly around finance and identity.
  
  
• Data Residency: No validator or data-processing activity occurs offshore—critical for regulatory assurance and business continuity.
  
  
• Ethereum Compatibility: JSC will stay up-to-date with Ethereum’s evolution, including full support for L2s launching on JSC, and the latest feature releases including Pectra.
  
  
• Public Yet Safe: Open to developers worldwide, but with embedded controls to block bad actors and prevent misuse.

Supporters of the initiative include major corporate stakeholders like Famima Digital One Co. Ltd., TOKYO DOME CORPORATION, Animoca Brands Japan, and SBI Investment, all of whom are aligned with JSC’s vision of building Japan’s critical Web3 infrastructure.

The Mizuhiki Protocol: compliance at the core

A highlight of both Spaces was the introduction of the Mizuhiki Protocol, JSC’s identity and compliance layer built directly into the chain.

Mizuhiki enables electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement at the infrastructure level, not as an afterthought or app-side patch. It allows users to:

• Use decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials (VCs) to prove traits like age, residency, or affiliation, without exposing personal data.
• Revoke or rotate identity credentials as needed.
• Interact with regulated services, such as stablecoin transfers or DAO governance, in full compliance with Japanese law.

Mizuhiki also supports integration with Japan’s My Number national ID system, paving the way for privacy-preserving zero-knowledge proofs in regulated applications.

Curvegrid’s role in JSC

Curvegrid is deeply involved in JSC’s technical development. Our MultiBaas platform supports more than 16 EVM-compatible chains, and the team has used that experience to:

• Implement Ethereum compatibility at the protocol layer.
• Develop core infrastructure and Mizuhiki compliance tooling.
• Support the upcoming public testnet and developer onboarding.

Notably, during the early stages of JSC testing, Curvegrid developers discovered and helped resolve two bugs in mainnet Ethereum, underscoring JSC’s commitment to contributing back to the broader Ethereum ecosystem.

JSC’s roadmap

As of the May 26 Twitter Space, JSC has been preparing for a public testnet launch. Private pilot work with major corporate partners is already underway. The upcoming milestones include:

• Public Testnet: To validate infrastructure, identity tooling, and compliance features.
• Mainnet Launch: Including validator onboarding, wallet SDKs, and full Mizuhiki functionality.
• Governance Maturity: With the launch of the Japan Smart Chain Foundation (JSCF), governance will gradually shift toward a multi-stakeholder model that includes enterprise, community, and ecosystem voices.

Jeff noted that while there are currently no details on tokenomics or airdrops, JSC is focused on real adoption first, proving value to businesses and users before speculation.

What’s next for JSC?

Japan Smart Chain is building more than just a blockchain. It’s laying the foundation for a national digital infrastructure: open, secure, and tailored to Japan’s legal and cultural context.

These Twitter Space sessions offered a glimpse of how JSC intends to bring millions of Japanese users on-chain through practical, compliant, and sovereign use cases. With technical backing from Curvegrid and strategic partnerships across industry, JSC is poised to become a model for how nations can embrace Web3 on their own terms.

To learn more, visit japansmartchain.com or read the official whitepaper.