Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings has officially secured a majority stake in Holdbuild, the parent company of the Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinhako. Following regulatory approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the acquisition positions SBI to aggressively expand its digital asset footprint across Southeast Asia. The deal, executed through a capital injection and the purchase of shares from existing stakeholders, officially makes Coinhako a consolidated subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate.
Coinhako currently operates under a Major Payment Institution license granted by MAS through its subsidiary, Hako Technology Pte. Ltd. By integrating Coinhako’s established regional customer base, SBI plans to scale its proprietary financial services and digital asset ventures. A primary focus of this integration will be the deployment of SBI's JPYSC stablecoin initiative, leveraging Singapore as a critical hub for its broader Asian strategy.
Aggressive Expansion in the Asian Crypto Market
The Coinhako deal is just one piece of a massive acquisition spree by SBI Holdings aimed at dominating the institutional and retail crypto sectors. Earlier this month, the company led a $76 million Series C funding round for the institutional crypto exchange EDX Markets. Furthermore, SBI has outlined ambitious plans to acquire the Japanese exchange Bitbank for $289 million, a move designed to create one of the largest cryptocurrency trading platforms in Japan.
Beyond traditional exchanges, SBI is heavily investing in tokenization and blockchain infrastructure. The company recently partnered with Ondo Finance to introduce tokenized Japanese stocks, utilizing the JPYSC stablecoin for seamless settlement and collateral. Additionally, in collaboration with Startale Group, SBI launched Strium, a layer-1 blockchain specifically engineered for tokenized securities, real-world assets (RWAs), and 24/7 institutional financial applications.
The Strategic Pivot Toward Tokenized Real-World Assets
SBI’s acquisition of Coinhako is far more than a simple geographic expansion; it is a calculated move to build a compliant, cross-border pipeline for institutional digital assets. By securing a regulated foothold in Singapore - arguably Asia's most crucial crypto hub - SBI is bridging the gap between traditional Japanese finance and the global decentralized market. The integration of the JPYSC stablecoin into Coinhako's ecosystem will likely serve as a testing ground for frictionless cross-border settlements.
Furthermore, the concurrent investments in EDX Markets, Bitbank, and the Strium layer-1 blockchain reveal a clear overarching strategy: SBI is positioning itself to dominate the emerging real-world asset (RWA) tokenization sector. While competitors focus primarily on retail trading volume, SBI is building the foundational infrastructure required for 24/7 tokenized equity settlement, signaling that the future of Asian finance will be heavily reliant on regulated blockchain networks.
