Seven Bank hid NFTs inside a train stamp rally and 7,000 people claimed them without knowing what they were

Seven Bank put more than 7,000 NFTs into customers’ hands in Japan, and most never realized it. Daiki Yamagata, a Seven Lab researcher, says seven to eight out of ten users took their NFT without knowing what it was. The bank, Tokyu Electric Railway and SUSHI TOP MARKETING built the campaign as a train stamp rally, with blockchain running quietly in the background.

Seven Bank turns ATMs into an NFT stamp rally gateway

The NFT stamp rally begins at a familiar point for customers: a Seven Bank ATM. Rather than requiring users to purchase cryptocurrency or transfer tokens, the campaign links an ordinary transit-card charging transaction with a digital experience.

After receiving the NFT, participants follow clues to locations along the Tokyu line and complete the rally. The second edition also offers finishers the opportunity to pre-purchase an 8500-series NFT train key holder through Tokyu’s official online store, TOKYU STYLE. Buyers can then enter a draw for invitations to the Tokyu Train Festival in October.

Yamagata said the family-oriented structure was intentional, with the campaign designed so either parent could participate and potentially turn a prize into an outing for the wider household.

The first campaign, titled “Charge at the ATM, head out on the Tokyu line! Digital Rally,” was announced by Tokyu in an official press release dated September 29, 2025.

The project also reflects Seven Bank’s broader interest in turning its ATM network into a platform for customer engagement. According to Yamagata, routine ATM transactions typically end at the machine’s screen, giving the bank limited insight into what kinds of experiences customers value.

The NFT stamp rally creates another interaction point, allowing the bank to observe campaign participation while avoiding the need to collect personal information.

More than 7,000 NFTs issued in the first campaign

The first NFT stamp rally exceeded its planned distribution, with more than 7,000 NFTs issued through Seven Bank ATMs. Yamagata said the bank believes a substantial proportion of participants claimed the digital collectibles without necessarily realizing they were NFTs.

“Seven to eight out of ten individual customers took their NFT without realizing what it was,” Yamagata said, describing the campaign’s estimated customer behavior.

That outcome was central to the campaign’s design. Instead of making blockchain technology the focus, the companies presented the experience as a conventional stamp rally. The NFT functioned largely in the background as a digital component of the campaign.

The approach appears to have reduced the amount of education required for participants. According to the supplied account, Seven Bank’s call center received almost no inquiries from customers asking what an NFT was.

The companies had already established relationships before launching the three-way campaign. SUSHI TOP MARKETING had worked on NFT initiatives with Tokyu Electric Railway, while Seven Bank had previously collaborated with the firm on an NFT fundraising project in 2023. Discussions eventually brought the three companies together for the 2025 NFT stamp rally.

Yamagata said customer feedback was generally positive. While some social media users described the initiative as innovative, the bank was particularly interested in users who submitted specific suggestions for improving the experience.

The campaign also revealed areas requiring refinement, including customers dropping out at the NFT-claim stage. Seven Bank and Tokyu have been working to make that process smoother for subsequent campaigns.

NFT stamp rally avoids personal data collection

A major feature of the NFT stamp rally is the limited information required to participate. The wallets and NFTs associated with the campaign do not contain personal information, while Seven Bank checks the wallet address and the NFTs held by that address.

This structure allowed the three companies to share relevant campaign data without undertaking an extensive personal-data management process.

Yamagata said the setup helped the project move quickly, with the period from planning to launch taking less than a month and a half, a relatively short timeframe for a financial institution.

The companies also generate revenue from fees associated with providing the ATM campaign service. The system can additionally direct customers who have already used an ATM to charge transit electronic money toward products offered by campaign clients.

The model illustrates how an NFT stamp rally can be used not only for digital collectibles but also as a customer-engagement and marketing mechanism.

The initiative does not involve a token sale or cryptocurrency transfer. As a result, the campaign is distinct from promotional programs in which participants receive tradeable tokens for completing marketing tasks.

Seven Bank explores wider NFT and retail applications

The NFT stamp rally is part of a wider effort to use Seven Bank’s extensive ATM infrastructure for services beyond conventional banking transactions. The bank operates more than 28,000 ATMs nationwide, giving it a large physical network through which future customer-engagement campaigns could potentially be delivered.

The companies are also exploring applications outside the railway campaign. A pilot involving Dentsu Group and other partners was scheduled for March 2026, with the concept aimed at directing customers who charge electronic money toward purchases at Seven-Eleven.

For the NFT stamp rally, the railway component remains central, with participants encouraged to leave the ATM and visit locations along the Tokyu network. The October Tokyu Train Festival draw and subsequent campaign developments provide additional opportunities to assess how customers respond to the model.

The project’s significance lies less in cryptocurrency trading than in the attempt to make blockchain-based experiences almost invisible to ordinary consumers. Participants can receive and use an NFT without having to navigate a conventional crypto wallet, purchase a token or provide personal information.

“Seven to eight out of ten individual customers took their NFT without realizing what it was,” — Daiki Yamagata, Seven Lab researcher.

That result suggests the NFT stamp rally model can bring blockchain technology into everyday consumer experiences without requiring users to become crypto specialists.

The first campaign’s more than 7,000 NFT claims provide an initial benchmark for the companies as they refine the concept. With Seven Bank’s ATM network, Tokyu’s railway infrastructure and SUSHI TOP MARKETING’s NFT technology working together, the NFT stamp rally represents a practical experiment in combining physical retail touchpoints with digital collectibles.

For consumers, the experience remains relatively simple: use an ATM, receive a digital clue and take part in a railway-themed challenge. For the companies behind it, however, the NFT stamp rally offers a way to connect routine transactions with measurable customer engagement while keeping personal data collection to a minimum.