Approximately 250 billion yen changed hands in "trading card NFTs," which also dealt in Pokémon cards—and the cards were used as collateral for loans.

Overseas platforms that handle items like Pokémon cards as NFTs have recorded a cumulative transaction volume exceeding $1.6 billion (approximately 250 billion yen). The system allows users to store physical cards in a secure facility while trading them on the blockchain. Furthermore, services have emerged that enable users to use these NFTs as collateral to borrow USDC—a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar.

However, a significant portion of this 250 billion yen in activity does not stem from standard, direct sales of cards between collectors. Instead, a large volume of transactions is driven by the purchase and subsequent buyback of card packs, which contain cards selected at random.

On October 20, 2026, the Pokemon card game celebrated its 30th anniversary. The commemorative expansion pack "30th CELEBRATION" will be released on September 16th, and commemorative events are scheduled at Makuhari Messe on October 25th, and at Intex Osaka on October 31st and November 1st.

The ``Pikachu Illustrator'' auction held in February 2026 symbolizes Pokeka as a collectible item. A card owned by Logan Paul with the highest PSA rating of ``10'' sold for $16,492,000, making it the highest auction price for an entire trading card, according to Guinness World Records.

When buying and selling high-value cards, appraisal services such as PSA are used to confirm authenticity and condition. Each card in the case has an identification number, allowing you to distinguish between cards with the same design. Because insurance, packaging, customs clearance, and other hassles are incurred each time an item is transported overseas, there is also demand for buying and selling items using storage facilities.