SBI accelerates its push into Japan’s crypto infrastructure as it enters talks to make Bitbank a consolidated subsidiary

📌 SBI Holdings has begun capital and business partnership talks with Bitbank, aiming to acquire shares and turn the crypto exchange into a consolidated subsidiary. The announcement was made on May 1, but the ownership ratio, deal value, and completion timeline have not been finalized.
🔎 What stands out is that this move comes shortly after Bitpoint Japan was merged into SBI VC Trade in April 2026. This suggests SBI is not just expanding one business line, but accelerating a broader strategy to consolidate digital asset trading infrastructure in Japan.
💡 Bitbank is a long-standing domestic player, founded in 2014, focused on spot trading, and previously linked to IPO plans. If the deal succeeds, SBI could expand its user base, liquidity, and ability to integrate crypto services into its wider financial ecosystem across securities, banking, and insurance.
⚠️ Still, the process remains in the due diligence and detailed negotiation stage, so it should not be treated as a completed deal yet. The main impact for now is the signal of faster consolidation in Japan’s crypto sector, where independent exchanges may face greater pressure from traditional financial groups.
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