The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) has announced TOPPAN Edge, a subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings that provides business process, security, and identity solutions, as the first Japanese Qualified vLEI Issuer (QVI) within the verifiable Legal Entity Identifier (vLEI) framework.
Developed by GLEIF, the vLEI is a globally standardised digital form of organisational identity.
By providing organisations and their representatives with cryptographically verifiable credentials, vLEIs aim to support trust and transparency in digital interactions, addressing challenges associated with digitalisation.
As a QVI, TOPPAN Edge will issue and manage vLEI credentials for organisations seeking to enhance transparency and trust across global manufacturing and financial use cases, including supply chain management, international trade, and transactions involving cryptocurrencies and stablecoins.
TOPPAN Edge also intends to offer a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform to encourage wider adoption of the vLEI in Japan.
The service is being piloted in September 2025 by the BRP Consortium Business Site Digital Certification Research and Development Working Group, a private-sector initiative focused on supply chain management for semiconductors and ICT equipment.
The pilot will explore the use of vLEIs to verify organisational existence and authenticity in support of semiconductor business site supply chains.
Alexandre Kech, CEO of GLEIF, said:
“Digital, verifiable organisational identity is the key to establishing trust across the global economy. TOPPAN Edge’s approval as a QVI will help organisations in the region to unlock sustainable economic growth by addressing real-world challenges, such as increasing transparency and resilience across global value chains, breaking down trade barriers through digitalisation, and bridging the gap between traditional finance and digital assets.”
Toshiya Akiho, Director and Executive Vice President at TOPPAN Edge, said:
“As a QVI, TOPPAN Edge will ensure the authenticity of organisations and the individuals affiliated with them in the digital world, contributing to the realization of a safe and secure international transaction environment.”
The announcement follows GLEIF’s introduction of a global Partners Programme to promote the adoption of digital organisational identity through collaboration with key industry participants.
GLEIF has also launched the inaugural vLEI Hackathon to support further development of the vLEI ecosystem.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by rawpixel.com via Freepik
