About Sota Watanabe

Startale Group today announced the second close of its Series A round, securing $50 million from SBI Group, Inc. ("SBI Group"). Combined with the first close of $13 million from Sony Innovation Fund announced in January 2026, Startale has completed a $63 million Series A round.

Startale Group is building digital infrastructure at the intersection of culture, finance, and technology. Rooted in Japan—home to some of the world’s most influential cultural exports—the company is creating systems designed for global scale, enabling industries to evolve, grow, and reach audiences worldwide.

Astar Network, Japan's leading blockchain platform, has announced the implementation of the SuperchainERC20 standard for its native ASTR token, becoming the first project to create a fully interoperable ERC-7802 token that also leverages Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP).

Astar is excited to reveal and support Soneium, a powerful Layer 2 blockchain solution launched […]