Bitcoin.com News Interviews
What happens when crypto payments go live in a real-world retail environment—like an airport?
In this episode, Gen Adachi shares how Netstars launched a USDC payment pilot at Haneda Airport in Japan—and saw demand exceed expectations by 10x. This isn’t theory or hype—this is one of the strongest real-world use cases for stablecoins in everyday payments today.
We dive into how USDC is being used at checkout, why QR payment infrastructure in Japan makes it easier to integrate crypto, and how Netstars is positioning itself as a major payments aggregator with access to over 700,000 merchants.
Gen also breaks down the future of crypto payments—from multi-wallet and multi-chain support to expanding pilots beyond airports, including a Pokémon card shop in Osaka and international markets like Qatar, Mongolia, and Cambodia.
If you're interested in crypto adoption, stablecoins like USDC, real-world blockchain use cases, or the future of digital payments in Asia, this conversation is packed with insights.
Topics covered:
- USDC payments in real-world retail
- Haneda Airport crypto payment pilot
- Stablecoin adoption in Japan
- QR code payment systems and Web3
- Multi-wallet, multi-chain payment infrastructure
- Netstars and Japan’s payment ecosystem
- Global expansion of crypto payments
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:11 – Netstars: Aggregating 60 Payment Methods
01:26 – USDC Live Pilot at Haneda Airport
02:28 – Multi-Wallet, Multi-Chain Future
04:06 – 10x Results: Pilot Performance Beat Expectations
06:53 – Market Position: 700K Merchants in Japan
07:29 – Second POC: Pokémon Card Shop in Osaka
11:45 – International Expansion: Qatar, Mongolia, Cambodia