SBI Holdings has started formal talks with Bitbank about a deal that could bring the exchange under its control.
The plan is simple: SBI wants to buy shares in Bitbank and turn it into a consolidated subsidiary. The details — like timing, structure, and how much will be acquired — are still being worked out.
This move didn’t come out of nowhere.
Just recently, SBI expanded its crypto footprint by merging its exchange arm with Bitpoint Japan. Now, it looks like the company is moving even faster to grow its presence in the crypto market.
At the same time, Japan is reviewing how crypto assets should be regulated under its financial laws. That could mean stricter rules for exchanges and crypto-related investment products, which makes timing important for deals like this.
For Bitbank, this could change its future plans.
The company had been preparing for a possible stock market listing in Tokyo. It also raised around 7 billion yen back in 2021 through a partnership with Mixi, which became a major shareholder. Now, SBI’s interest could reshape its ownership and possibly delay or change its IPO plans.
Bitbank has also been expanding beyond trading.
It recently launched a crypto-linked payment product called the “EPOS Crypto Card” with EPOS Card. This card lets users pay their monthly bills using Bitcoin held in their Bitbank account.
Users can also earn 0.5% cashback in crypto like Bitcoin, Ether, or Aster. According to the company, this is the first time in Japan that a credit card bill can be paid directly using funds from a crypto exchange.
If the deal goes through, it would combine Bitbank’s growing payment services with SBI’s large financial network.
One more thing working in Bitbank’s favor: it has reported zero hacking incidents since launch, which is a big plus in an industry where security is a major concern.
Overall, this potential deal shows where things are heading — bigger financial groups are moving in, and crypto exchanges are becoming part of broader financial systems.
