SBI Remit and Tottori Bank launched international money transfer services on April 20, marking the 26th financial institution to partner with the Ripple-linked remittance provider. The service leverages Ripple's distributed ledger technology to facilitate low-cost, 24/7 cross-border payments, with XRP serving as an optional bridge currency in corridors with ample liquidity, according to community commentators tracking the expansion.

—Eri ~ Carpe Diem (@sentosumosaba) April 19, 2026

Ripple Remittance Network In Japan Expands To 26 Banks

That framing goes somewhat further than SBI Remit’s own press release, which highlights Ripple’s technology directly but does not explicitly say XRP will be used in this rollout. Still, the company did state that, since its founding in 2010, it has “actively incorporates the latest financial technologies, such as Ripple’s distributed ledger technology” as part of its effort to offer secure, low-cost and fast international remittances.

In practical terms, the new partnership is aimed at a growing foreign workforce in Tottori Prefecture and the financial institutions serving it. SBI Remit said both the number of foreign workers and the number of businesses employing them have risen to record highs in the prefecture, making access to reliable cross-border payments more important for workers sending money home and for local employers trying to support them.

The company described a market that increasingly demands speed, convenience and always-on access. “Foreign customers now require services that are fast, low-cost, available 24/7, and can be initiated via apps, as well as services that support diversified receiving methods, such as the expansion of e-wallets in the recipient country,” SBI Remit said.

“Meanwhile, with the increase in foreign workers, regional financial institutions are facing increased requests from companies to open salary deposit accounts. Furthermore, after providing accounts, they are required to handle new customer management tasks, including residence permit expiration dates and return information.”

That helps explain why Ripple-linked infrastructure keeps appearing through SBI-affiliated channels in Japan: the pitch is less about crypto branding than about solving remittance and compliance bottlenecks for banks and end users. SBI Remit said it now offers an integrated service combining “remittances to hometown” and “salary deposit accounts” for foreign residents, backed by multilingual support in 12 languages.

Eri also suggested the Tottori deal fits a broader regional-bank strategy inside Japan. Replying to another X user, she wrote in full: “No doubt. Japan has 200+ banks, which include foreign banks, trusts, and various tiers of regional banks. The 3 mega banks and Japan Post dominate. Mr. Kitao has been focused on bringing the regional banks into the fold. I also think you’ll see expansion into S. Korea with the same technology via SBI initiatives.”

At press time, XRP traded at $1.42.