Curvegrid and Salo Collaborate to Explore Stablecoin Use Cases for Japan and the Philippines

October 2, 2026 - Tokyo, Japan | Curvegrid, developer of digital asset and blockchain infrastructure, is partnering with Salo, a fintech company modernizing international remittances between Japan and the Philippines.

Together, the companies will explore using technologies such as stablecoins and blockchain as a component of the settlement and treasury infrastructure behind Salo’s planned remittance service.

Japan-Philippines: A Significant Remittance Corridor

The Philippines received more than US$35.6 billion in cash remittances from overseas workers in 2025, representing approximately 7.3% of the country’s GDP. Japan is home to around 340,000 Filipinos, many of whom regularly send money to family members in the Philippines.

International remittances can involve multiple intermediaries, fees, limited operating hours, and settlement times that vary depending on the providers and markets involved. In September 2025, the average global cost of sending a remittance was approximately 6.36% of the amount transferred, more than double the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%.

Against this backdrop, financial technology companies around the world are exploring new approaches to international payments. Blockchain-based infrastructure and stablecoins are among the technologies being evaluated for their potential role in settlement, treasury operations, and other components of cross-border payment systems.

Salo is focused on the Japan-Philippines remittance corridor and is exploring how stablecoins and other financial technologies could be incorporated into the settlement infrastructure behind its planned service. Its approach is designed around the needs of Filipinos in Japan sending money home to the Philippines, including low, transparent fees and accessible funding options.

Growing Interest in Digital Asset Infrastructure

The Japan-Philippines corridor sits within a broader shift toward the practical application of digital assets and blockchain infrastructure.

As of January 2026, the global stablecoin supply had reached approximately US$318 billion, with remittances, international trade, and access to foreign currencies among the use cases being explored across markets.

The Philippines ranked fourth globally in TRM Labs’ digital asset adoption and stablecoin usage index for the first half of 2025, rising from eighth place in 2024. Japan ranked ninth, indicating growing engagement with digital assets in both markets.

This combination of significant remittance activity and growing interest in new financial technologies makes the Japan-Philippines corridor a relevant market for exploring how modern infrastructure can support international financial services.

Exploring the Future of International Payments

Through the collaboration, Curvegrid and Salo will explore opportunities to support the development of more efficient international payment services between Japan and the Philippines.

Areas of collaboration will include:

• Engagement with businesses, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners in Japan and the Philippines

• Market research and insights focused on the Japan-Philippines payment corridor

• Exploration of how stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure could support international remittance operations

• Joint educational content, including articles, webinars, and industry insights

The companies will examine the operational and technical requirements associated with incorporating emerging technologies into financial services, including considerations around regulatory compliance, security, governance, interoperability, and oversight.

“International remittances are an important area where new financial technologies have the potential to improve existing processes,” said William Metcalfe, Co-founder of Curvegrid. “Working with Salo gives us an opportunity to better understand the operational needs of companies serving the Japan-Philippines corridor and explore where blockchain infrastructure can provide practical value.”

“The Philippines has a large remittance economy, while Japan is home to a significant population of overseas Filipino workers,” said Brendan Forster, founder and CEO of Salo. “Every day, we see the importance of making international money movement simpler and more accessible for Filipinos living and working in Japan. We are pleased to work with Curvegrid as we prepare for launch and explore technologies that could support our service over time.”

About Curvegrid

Curvegrid is a Tokyo-based technology company specializing in digital asset infrastructure and blockchain-powered solutions. Curvegrid enables businesses to integrate digital assets into real-world use cases, including payments, financial services, and cross-border transactions. By bridging traditional systems with blockchain technology, Curvegrid helps organizations improve efficiency, transparency, and global accessibility. Its platform supports secure, scalable deployment of digital asset applications across multiple blockchain networks.

Learn more at https://www.curvegrid.com.

About Salo

Salo is a Tokyo-based fintech company building a low-cost remittance service for Filipinos living and working in Japan to send money home to the Philippines. Salo is the service brand of Salo Services K.K. (Salo Services 株式会社), which is preparing its application for registration as a Funds Transfer Service Provider (資金移動業者) under Japan’s Payment Services Act. Salo does not currently offer remittance services; its service will launch only after registration is complete. 

Salo is exploring whether blockchain technology can enable faster, lower-cost international money movement while improving the accessibility and efficiency of financial services for individuals living in Japan.

Learn more at https://salo.money.