SBI Global Asset Management has partnered with tokenized real-world asset (RWA) exchange DigiFT to launch the SBI Japan High Dividend Equity Strategy Token, or JX token. The move marks the first time a Japanese equity fund has been tokenized on a public blockchain, according to the firms. The token is backed by a portfolio of high-dividend Japanese stocks and is available to non-Japanese investors through DigiFT's platform.
How the JX token works
The JX token represents a share in the underlying Japanese equity fund, which is managed by SBI Global Asset Management. DigiFT handles the tokenization and secondary trading on its exchange, which operates on a public blockchain. The structure allows overseas investors to gain exposure to Japanese dividend-paying stocks without going through traditional cross-border channels. SBI said the token is compliant with Singapore's regulatory framework, where DigiFT is based.
Tokenized real-world assets have been a growing niche in crypto, but most projects focus on bonds, real estate, or commodities. A tokenized equity fund from a major Japanese asset manager — SBI is a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, which is also a partner of Ripple — gives the concept more institutional weight. The JX token is live and trading, not a pilot or a test. That puts it ahead of many RWA projects that are still in sandbox phases.
SBI's crypto ties
SBI Holdings has been one of the more active traditional financial firms in crypto. Its partnership with Ripple goes back years, and the group runs its own crypto exchange, SBI VC Trade. The JX token launch fits that pattern: SBI is using blockchain tech to move assets that would normally stay inside traditional finance. The choice of DigiFT, a Singapore-licensed RWA exchange, suggests SBI is targeting Asian institutional investors who want regulated on-chain access.
What comes next
DigiFT plans to list the JX token for secondary trading on its platform. SBI Global hasn't said whether it will tokenize other funds, but the structure could be replicated for other strategies. The real test will be whether non-Japanese investors actually buy in — and whether regulators in other jurisdictions treat the token as a security or something else.
