Japan’s Messaging Giant LINE to Trial Crypto Payments for Online Merchants

LINE is aiming to increase the usage of its native crypto LINK (LN) and will begin trialling the token’s use in payments via its messaging app

article-image

Line application icon on Apple iPhone. Credit: Shutterstock

share

key takeaways

  • LINE Pay will begin trialling payments in LINK to select merchants via its messaging app
  • The trial will take place on LINE’s blockchain network and will run from March through to December

A subsidiary of the Japan-based messaging giant LINE Corporation will begin trialing its native token for use in payments to select merchants via its messaging app.

LINE Pay, the operator of the company’s digital wallet and fintech services, will be tasked with connecting LINE’s LINK (LN) token (not to be confused with ChainLink’s LINK token) with its payment solution, according to a statement Tuesday.

LINE said it is aiming to expand users’ “payment options, increase convenience, and grow the real-life usages” for LINK. It is the first time since 2020 that the messaging giant has made significant efforts to push ahead with its crypto efforts.

Trials will commence March 16 through Dec. 26, enabling customers to use LINK at LINE Pay online merchants in the same way LINE Points are transacted, the company said. The company’s blockchain network will be used for the trial.

As of Q3 2020, LINE’s messaging app boasted roughly 84 million monthly active users in its domestic market, around 66% of Japan’s total population.

The company has been quietly building its payment infrastructure after launching its native token back in 2018.

Last year, LVC, LINE’s crypto exchange operator and blockchain business unit, debuted a crypto lending service, allowing users to lend bitcoin and other cryptos to its BITMAX exchange in return for a rental fee.

LN, whose market cap stands at $867.8 million, is changing hands for $144.2 and is up 23.8% over a seven-day period, according to data by provider CoinGecko.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates (3).png

Research

Pear Protocol has proven its market fit through its pair-trading infrastructure, sustaining consistent trading activity despite recent headwinds. Its strategic pivot toward Hyperliquid integration represents a major growth catalyst amid industry consolidation. While short-term token unlocks present challenges, current valuations and liquidity conditions may offer compelling opportunities for investors.

article-image

For just $54, you, too, could send a memecoin 500% higher

article-image

Memecoins, tech, and inflation have dominated the first half of the year

article-image

As the Trump administration continues to test Fed independence, markets are beginning to react

article-image

An Aave interest rate shock prompted over 475,000 validators to exit and pushed stETH into a prolonged depeg

article-image

While Roman Storm’s team is set to present its case, it’s not yet clear if the Tornado Cash founder will testify

article-image

A wireless network inspired by lost drones is now helping telco carriers reach your phone indoors