Pop culture backer Slash Labs brings crypto credit card to Japan

Japan will have a cryptocurrency-backed credit card after Slash Vision Labs finalized a deal with a Japanese credit card issuer. Slash is also active in bringing Japanese intellectual property into Web3.A crypto credit card from a memecoin backerDetails of the coming Slash Card are sparse. The Japanese issuer has not been named, although the company mentions in its announcement that it already works with SoftBank Payment and Visa partner LifeCard.According to the Slash Payment website, its current payment offering works with “almost any cryptocurrency” and is supported on 10 blockchains. A Slash Card incentive program has been devised:“With the launch of Slash Card, Slash is making cryptocurrency payments more accessible while offering unique opportunities for both global and domestic crypto projects to engage with users in Japan via ‘Pay-to-Earn’ airdrops and more.”The card, which will appear in 2025, will be fully compliant with Japanese cryptocurrency and payment regulations, Slash said.British Virgin Islands-based Slash also supports the marketing and operational efforts of Chiitan Coin (CTAN), the officially branded memecoin inspired by the unofficial baby fairy otter mascot of Kochi Prefecture (other sources say the city of Susaki), which launched in June.In August, Slash said it had made an investment in CTAN in a strategic partnership, as a result of which it “owns” the project and aims “to build a new genre called Mascot Meme.”Crypto and Japanese pop cultureIn November, Slash began providing payment services to Comilio, a manga posting platform. Users can upload manga onto the platform and charge points, purchased with cryptocurrency through Slash, to read their material.Slash Vision Labs launched its SVL governance token in May.Japanese cryptocurrency exchange DMM Crypto partnered with Japanese stablecoin platform Progmat in August to create a proposal for a stablecoin to power DMM.com’s Seamoon Protocol along with the DMM-issued SMP coin.The Seamoon Protocol allowed access to the Seamoon Portal, which featured games and anime produced by Japanese e-commerce and internet group DMM.com. In November, the Seamoon Protocol was discontinued, citing “rapid changes in the business environment that have created challenges for the project’s sustainability.”