Japan Bitcoin Industry launches Aurora platform for international payments

Japan Bitcoin Industry Co., Ltd. has launched Aurora, a self-custodial Bitcoin payments platform aimed at enabling Japanese companies to sell to international fans. The product was introduced at the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong. Aurora targets the global audience of anime, manga, games, and other Japanese content, which has a significant following but faces payment challenges due to traditional systems. The platform allows international customers to pay in Bitcoin via the Lightning Network, while providing Japanese merchants with a point-of-sale and API layer for invoicing and payment tracking. The market for Japanese anime content outside Japan is projected to reach 2.17 trillion yen in 2024, a 26% increase year-over-year, yet many overseas fans encounter difficulties in making payments for subscriptions and digital goods. Aurora's design ensures that JBI does not handle the funds; each merchant operates its own self-custodial Lightning node to receive Bitcoin directly. This model offers businesses a clearer regulatory position without acting as custodians, while still managing operational aspects like node uptime and liquidity. JBI has drawn on experience from its consumer service, UseBitcoin.jp, which has facilitated Lightning payments for digital gift cards for two years. The company is inviting media, potential merchants, and wallet providers to engage with them at Bitcoin Asia 2026 in Hong Kong.