[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Sony Bank has received preliminary approval in the United States to pursue a dollar-based stablecoin issuance and custody business. Expectations are rising that this could soon lead to a function allowing game purchases on PlayStation using cryptocurrency, but documents released so far do not include such content.

On July 15 (local time), blockchain outlet CryptoSlate reported that the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on July 2 granted preliminary conditional approval for a plan to establish Connectia Trust, a trust bank wholly funded by Sony Bank.

Connectia Trust is structured so that Sony Bank holds a 100 percent stake. According to the OCC approval documents, the trust bank plans to issue a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar and manage reserves, while providing digital asset custody services and a function for asset transfers within a limited network.

The services are limited to U.S. retail customers that already have ties with Sony Group or its affiliates, as well as Sony Group affiliates. The issued stablecoin is also expected to be closer to a closed payment method operating within approved Sony platforms than to an open cryptocurrency that circulates freely across the internet.

The documents said the network would be operated for "approved Sony assets" and "defined customers." They did not specify which Sony services would be included in the network or what goods or services could be purchased with the stablecoin.

Even so, online speculation spread that Sony's stablecoin business would lead to adoption for PlayStation payments. PlayStation is Sony's flagship consumer platform, and expectations appear to reflect the idea that if Sony builds its own payment network it could be used to buy games and content.

But the OCC approval documents and Sony Bank's announcement did not directly mention PlayStation, the PlayStation Store or game purchases. The confirmed information so far is limited to building financial infrastructure that could be used in the future across Sony affiliate services.

CryptoSlate pointed out that speculation raised online should not be interpreted as Sony's official product announcement. It said PlayStation payments may be one possible use case, but Sony has not yet finalized or announced such a plan.

Regulatory steps also remain. The OCC decision is preliminary conditional approval, not final authorization. Connectia Trust can begin operations only after meeting pre-opening requirements and receiving final approval. Sony Bank said it is preparing for the possibility of opening in 2027, subject to necessary regulatory approvals. It also specified that neither the timing of the trust bank's opening nor whether a stablecoin will be issued has been decided or guaranteed.

Even with final approval, linking it to PlayStation payments would require a separate business decision. Sony would need to set details such as the platforms covered, eligible customers and items that can be purchased, and then officially announce related services.

Changes in Sony's financial business governance are also a variable. Sony separated part of its financial services business in October 2025 and shifted to a structure in which it holds a 16.40 percent stake in Sony Financial Group. As a result, Sony Financial Group is no longer included as a consolidated subsidiary of Sony.

But that structural change does not block the possibility of business collaboration within Sony Group. There remains a possibility that Connectia Trust's stablecoin could be used in Sony affiliate consumer services in the future, but it is difficult at this stage to interpret it as confirming adoption for PlayStation payments.

Ultimately, the confirmed fact so far is that Sony Bank has secured a conditional path to build a stablecoin issuance and custody framework for a limited Sony network in the United States. By contrast, a function to buy games on PlayStation using cryptocurrency has not yet been announced and is not included in the released approval documents.