A refrigerator that auto-orders groceries based on your family’s health data. A convenience store where artificial intelligence (AI) recommends lunch and you pay without reaching for your wallet. A factory where delivery and payments settle automatically in yen-backed stablecoins the moment goods arrive.
These are some of the scenarios Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party outlined in a new policy proposal to build a next-generation financial system in which autonomous AI agents, not humans, handle commerce, payments, and financing around the clock.
The proposal, titled “Next-generation AI and Onchain Finance Concept,” was drafted by LDP lawmaker Seiji Kihara and approved by the party’s Policy Research Council on May 19. It marks one of the most concrete government-level efforts to date to integrate AI and blockchain into a country’s national infrastructure.
A 24/7 digital economy with AI agents
The document prioritized the development of a 24/7 automated financial infrastructure that supports agentic commerce—transactions conducted by autonomous AI agents rather than humans. In this model, AI systems would independently identify, evaluate, and purchase products and services. Blockchain networks would provide the tamper-resistant, verifiable, and programmable settlement layer required for machine-to-machine economic activity.
“In the age of agentic commerce, AI will autonomously handpick products and services instead of humans, which makes blockchain’s tamper-resistant, verifiable, and programmable characteristics highly compatible,” the proposal stated.
The document includes concrete scenarios: a smart refrigerator that auto-orders nutrients based on family health data and pays automatically; a convenience store where AI recommends lunch based on a customer’s health and workload, with biometric background payment eliminating checkout lines; and a manufacturing supply chain where AI verifies delivery quality and quantity, then auto-settles payment in JPY-denominated stablecoins on-chain—eliminating payment delays for small subcontractors and allowing accounts receivable to be immediately liquidated for working capital.
The concept marks a significant step in national-level recognition that AI agents will require financial infrastructure designed for autonomous actors instead of human account holders. Rather than adapting existing banking systems built around individual identity and manual authorization, the proposal describes a foundational layer that allows smart contracts and programmable money, enabling machines to transact within predefined parameters without human intervention.
Tokenizing money and real-world assets
The proposal described tokenized deposits as essential to tokenizing the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) current account deposits, a move that would place central bank money directly on the blockchain. This differs from private stablecoins in that tokenized deposits would represent a direct claim on central bank liabilities, potentially offering the settlement finality of cash combined with the programmability of digital tokens. It also noted that other non-monetary real-world assets (RWAs) could potentially be tokenized.
The stablecoin component highlighted the importance of legal clarity and mitigating systemic risks. Japan’s proposal specifically expressed support for a joint stablecoin issuance project currently underway among three Japanese megabanks, which has already received backing from the country’s financial regulator.
The document framed the initiative as a matter of economic security. It noted that U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins—USDT and USDC—have grown to a 45 trillion JPY-equivalent issuance scale, while U.S.-based JPMorgan (NASDAQ: JPM) has taken the lead in tokenized deposit initiatives. If Japan fails to build its own on-chain financial infrastructure, the proposal warned, it faces economic security risks and currency substitution risks from relying on foreign payment systems.
“Such efforts will ensure Japan’s on-chain financial sovereignty and protect its currency sovereignty,” the document said.
Beyond domestic implementation, the proposal calls for a framework to strengthen cooperation with other Asian countries on AI and blockchain initiatives, and requests Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) to formulate a five-year roadmap to promote investments involving both the public and private sectors.
Kihara posted on X following the approval: “It is truly a ‘concept,’ and from here on, we will build it up piece by piece. The important thing is the follow-up from now on, and we will continue to work on it.”
With the official party approval, the LDP will now work with relevant government agencies to advance the proposal toward formalization as policy. The initiative comes as other major world economies, such as the United States and the EU, are still in the early stages of formulating similar frameworks.
In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek’s coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI.
Watch | Blockchain Futurist 2025 (Part 1): What’s real vs what’s hype on blockchain?
title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””>
