Bitbank Launches Japan’s First Crypto Credit Card Enabling Bitcoin Bill Payments with 0.5% Cashback, Tapping 80%+ Card Penetration and Expanding Real-World Crypto Use in Regulated Financial Ecosystem
The Japanese cryptocurrency ecosystem takes a notable step toward mainstream crypto adoption. Bitbank’s new offering, a crypto-connected credit card, marks the integration of traditional financial services and cryptocurrency payments.
Bitbank’s First Crypto Payment Card
Bitbank, a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, has launched a Visa-backed credit card that lets users pay their monthly expenses with cryptocurrency. In a press release, the company announced its collaboration with EPOS Card, the financial technology arm of Marui Group, to offer the “EPOS Crypto Card for Bitbank”.
The company claims that it is the “first service in Japan that enables credit card payments to be settled directly from balances held at a crypto exchange.” At first, the service can only be used to repay credit card bills with Bitcoin, allowing users to automatically pay their credit card bills with the BTC they have in their Bitbank accounts.
Cashback and User Incentives
The card also provides 0.5% cashback on monthly transactions to incentivise users. Cashback can be received in either Bitcoin, Ethereum or Aster tokens, and is credited to users’ Bitbank exchange accounts.
This reward system encourages more frequent use and retention, particularly in the Japanese market, where credit card adoption is over 80%. Bitbank seeks to blend traditional transactions with crypto rewards to make cryptocurrency more useful in everyday transactions, not just a speculative asset.
Expanding Crypto Utility in Daily Life
The move comes amid a surge in bringing crypto into the mainstream financial systems. Bitbank said that the card could support more cryptocurrencies in the future, based on demand and regulatory factors.
The offering is also in line with other market trends. In January, Binance released its Japan-based cryptocurrency card, which offers rewards in BNB for using the card. These moves reflect an increased competition between exchanges to integrate fiat and cryptocurrency.
Also Read: Bitcoin Conference 2026 Faces Backlash Over Speaker Lineup Shift
Security and Regulatory Compliance
Bitbank noted that the card complies with Japanese regulations. Bitbank employs multi-signature wallets and two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect user funds and adhere to the Financial Services Agency (FSA) regulations.
These are essential steps to gaining user confidence, especially as cryptocurrency transitions into mainstream financial use cases such as bill payment and shopping.
