SBI Holdings seizes control of Coinhako in Singapore crypto push

SBI Holdings has acquired a majority stake in Coinhako after securing regulatory approval for the Singapore crypto exchange deal on July 16.

Summary

• SBI Holdings acquired a majority stake in Coinhako after receiving approval from Singapore’s financial regulator.
• Coinhako gives SBI a licensed base for expanding digital asset services across Southeast Asia.
• The deal complements SBI’s JPYSC stablecoin, Ondo partnership, and Solana-based JX equity token

According to SBI Holdings, the transaction involved a capital injection through SBI Ventures Asset Pte. Ltd. and the purchase of shares from Coinhako’s existing investors. Coinhako will now operate as a consolidated subsidiary of the Japanese financial group.

Approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore allowed the deal to close on July 16. SBI did not disclose the size of the investment, the percentage of shares acquired, or Coinhako’s valuation under the transaction.

Established in 2014, Coinhako is operated by Hako Technology Pte. Ltd. and holds a Major Payment Institution licence from MAS. Its affiliate, Alpha Hako Ltd., is registered as a virtual asset service provider with the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission.

Coinhako gives SBI a regulated Singapore base

Through the acquisition, SBI plans to combine Coinhako’s customers, regional network and crypto operations with the Japanese group’s financial products and international reach. The company identified Singapore as a key market because of its established digital asset regulations and position within Southeast Asia.

SBI Chairman and President Yoshitaka Kitao described the purchase as part of the group’s plan to connect exchanges across multiple countries. According to Kitao, such a network could let investors trade without being limited by national borders or currency differences.

Coinhako’s local presence and regulatory status were central to the decision, Kitao added. SBI expects the exchange to support new services involving stablecoins, tokenized assets, cross-border trading and on-chain finance between Japan and Southeast Asia.

For Coinhako, joining SBI provides access to a financial group with operations across banking, securities and digital assets. Commenting on the acquisition, Coinhako co-founder and CEO Yusho Liu described the deal as the company’s next stage after a decade of operating in Singapore.

“Joining the SBI Group is a natural step for Coinhako to move to the next stage of growth.”

Tokenized assets deepen SBI’s regional strategy

Alongside the Coinhako purchase, SBI has been developing a yen-backed stablecoin called JPYSC with blockchain company Startale. SBI plans to explore its use within the combined group, including possible links to Coinhako’s services and regional customer network.

As previously reported by crypto.news, SBI has also partnered with Ondo Finance to bring tokenized financial products into its ecosystem. Under the agreement, the companies plan to use JPYSC for settlement and collateral while connecting Japanese securities with overseas tokenized markets.

Ondo’s products are expected to reach investors through SBI’s customer network, according to the companies. The partnership also gives SBI another route for using its stablecoin beyond conventional transfers, including transactions involving tokenized securities.

One day before the Coinhako deal closed, SBI Global Asset Management launched the SBI Japan High Dividend Equity Strategy Token, or JX token, with regulated real-world asset exchange DigiFT. Issued on Solana, the product gives accredited and institutional investors blockchain-based exposure to a Japanese high-dividend equity strategy managed by SBI Asset Management Co.

Taken together, SBI’s announcements show how the group is assembling regulated exchanges, tokenized investment products and stablecoin infrastructure across Asia. Coinhako adds a licensed Singapore distribution point to that network, while the Ondo and DigiFT agreements provide financial products that SBI could connect to it.