Rootstock Labs and Animoca Brands Japan announced a strategic partnership to develop bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC)-native treasury and BTCFi tools aimed at institutional users in Japan.
The collaboration was confirmed on 27 January 2026 and focuses on expanding compliant onchain financial use cases anchored directly to bitcoin.
The partnership will explore corporate treasury strategies that allow institutions to use bitcoin beyond passive balance-sheet holdings.
Rootstock’s Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) Virtual Machine compatibility will be used to support smart-contract functionality while remaining secured by bitcoin proof-of-work.
The initiative aligns with Animoca Brands Japan’s Digital Asset Treasury Management Support Service for domestic enterprises.
Both firms said the project places strong emphasis on risk management, governance standards, and regulatory awareness.
Japanese corporations will be supported through early-stage pilots designed to test bitcoin-based treasury approaches in real-world conditions.
The collaboration aims to improve enterprise readiness for bitcoin-anchored financial infrastructure within regulated environments.
Rootstock’s merged-mining model, which is secured by more than 80% of the bitcoin network’s hash power, will underpin the technical framework.
The platform’s 100% mainnet uptime track record was cited as a key factor in attracting institutional interest.
Animoca Brands Japan will contribute corporate advisory expertise and local market knowledge to guide adoption.
The partners said the project responds to growing demand among Japanese institutions for compliant crypto-asset utility.
Institutional participants will gain insights into governance models suited to onchain treasury operations.
The collaboration is positioned as a step towards broader bitcoin-anchored finance adoption in Japan.
Early learnings from pilot programmes will inform future product development and institutional onboarding.
The initiative seeks to bridge traditional corporate finance practices with decentralised financial tools.
Market observers note that Japan’s regulatory clarity makes it a key testing ground for institutional crypto innovation.
The partnership is expected to engage enterprises exploring yield-generating or operational uses for bitcoin holdings.
Both firms highlighted the importance of compliance when introducing onchain financial tools to regulated institutions.
This partnership will support corporate adoption of cryptoassets in a manner compliant with Japan’s regulatory environment.
Kensuke Amo said.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $89,705.77.