SBI Holdings Ripple stake seen as hidden asset play amid Asia expansion and XRP ETF plans

Investor attention is turning to the evolving relationship between SBI Holdings and Ripple, as new comments from the Japanese group’s CEO spotlight the scale of the partnership’s impact on the broader crypto ecosystem and the primary keyword sbi holdings ripple.

Kitao clarifies SBI’s exposure to Ripple

Excitement in the XRP community surged after Yoshitaka Kitao, CEO and President of SBI Holdings, corrected claims about the firm’s crypto exposure. An X user alleged that the Japanese financial group holds $10,000,000,000 in XRP, partly tied to its expansion in Asia via the Coinhako deal.

However, Kitao clarified that SBI does not hold $10 billion in XRP. Instead, he revealed that SBI owns around 9% of Ripple Labs. This shifts the narrative from a massive direct XRP stash to a substantial equity position in the US-based fintech firm.

Moreover, Kitao stressed that this equity stake should be viewed against Ripple’s overall corporate value. He noted that when considering Ripple’s total valuation, including its ecosystem and recent expansion, the figure “would be enormous,” highlighting what he called SBI’s “hidden asset.”

Ripple equity exposure and potential upside

Prominent XRP community commentator Eri underscored that owning 9% of Ripple means exposure to the company’s full ecosystem. That includes its underlying technology stack, cross-border payment solutions, extensive global partnerships, and the vast XRP reserves held in escrow.

This perspective suggests that SBI’s hidden asset exposure could ultimately exceed the speculative $10 billion in XRP that some had assumed. However, the real upside will depend heavily on how markets value Ripple in any future corporate event, such as an initial public offering.

Market speculation has long floated the idea that a Ripple public listing could value the company at more than $100,000,000,000. That said, no official timetable for an IPO or similar listing has been announced, and Ripple has not provided firm guidance on timing.

Today, Ripple itself holds just over 39 billion XRP, valued at roughly $57,000,000,000 at current prices. At XRP’s peak price of $3.66, the company’s XRP holdings alone were worth more than $142,000,000,000, illustrating the scale of potential valuation swings tied to the token’s market cycles.

Asia push accelerates with Coinhako acquisition

The renewed focus on SBI’s relationship with Ripple comes as the Japanese group continues a sharp expansion into digital assets across Asia. In a recent announcement, SBI said its subsidiary SBI Ventures Asset Pte. Ltd. plans to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based crypto platform Coinhako.

Coinhako operates under Hako Technology, which is licensed by Singapore’s financial regulator, and under Alpha Hako Ltd., regulated in the British Virgin Islands. Moreover, this structure gives SBI regulated access to multiple jurisdictions, strengthening its regional presence.

Once regulatory approvals are secured and the transaction is completed, Coinhako will be folded into SBI Holdings. Kitao described the move as a strategic step to build a stronger digital asset network across Asia, including services for tokenized stocks, stablecoins, and wider crypto market infrastructure.

XRP and Bitcoin ETF ambitions in Tokyo

SBI’s confidence in its partnership with Ripple mirrors its broader crypto ambitions in Japan. In recent regulatory filings, the financial group disclosed plans for a Crypto Asset ETF that will include both Bitcoin and XRP, alongside a separate product combining Bitcoin and gold.

The planned ETF would list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, pending approval by Japanese regulators. However, there is no confirmed launch date yet. Even so, the initiative signals growing institutional momentum for digital assets in Japan’s capital markets.

In this context, the phrase sbi holdings ripple has become shorthand for a broader strategy that ties ETF products, exchange operations, and equity stakes into a single long-term crypto thesis. Moreover, SBI’s ETF plans underscore how traditional financial players are increasingly blending digital and conventional asset classes.

SBI Holdings profile and long-term crypto goals

SBI Holdings is a major Japanese financial conglomerate that has been steadily ramping up its presence in digital assets, including Bitcoin and XRP. As of 2025, the group managed around ¥10 trillion in assets under management, reflecting its significant domestic footprint.

The company aims to grow its crypto-related business through a combination of direct investments, ETFs, and strategic equity stakes such as its 9% shareholding in Ripple. Moreover, SBI has indicated that the value of this 9% stake will only be officially reflected on its books after Ripple goes public or undergoes a comparable valuation event.

Earlier commentary from the firm suggested that formally unlocking the value of its Ripple stake could help push SBI’s crypto segment toward a long-term target of ¥1 trillion. That said, the timing and scale of this revaluation depend on external market conditions, as well as on Ripple’s own corporate roadmap.

Overall, SBI’s combination of Ripple equity, the Coinhako expansion, and planned Bitcoin and XRP ETFs in Tokyo illustrates a coordinated push to cement its role in the next phase of digital finance across Asia.