SBI Holdings clarifies multibillion-dollar Ripple investment

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SBI Holdings backs Ripple Labs

SBI clarifies Ripple stake

Speculation circulated on social media that SBI Holdings held as much as $10 billion worth of XRP tokens. Chairman and CEO Yoshitaka Kitao rejected those claims, stating: “Not $10 bil. in XRP but around 9% of Ripple Lab. So our hidden asset could be much bigger.”

SBI’s exposure, he explained, stems from an approximately 9% equity stake in Ripple Labs. Based on Ripple’s recent valuation — reported at between $40 billion and $50 billion following a $500 million funding round backed by major institutional investors — SBI’s stake would be worth roughly $3.6 billion to $4 billion on paper.

“When it comes to Ripple Lab’s total valuation, which obviously includes its ecosystem that Ripple has created, that would be enormous. SBI owns more than 9% of that much,” Kitao added.

SBI, one of Japan’s largest financial conglomerates with about ¥10 trillion in assets under management, has been a long-standing partner of Ripple, supporting blockchain-based payment initiatives across Asia through joint ventures such as SBI Ripple Asia.

Ripple’s trillion-dollar ambition

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently outlined bold long-term aspirations during an XRP community event, stating: “There will be a trillion-dollar crypto company. I don’t doubt that for a second. I think Ripple has the opportunity, if we do things well in partnership with the overall XRP ecosystem, to be that company, and maybe there’ll be more than one.”

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He emphasized that Ripple’s broader mission centers on strengthening the XRP ecosystem. “We will continue to build products and services that customers love and will pay for to make Ripple successful, but it’s in service of the overall XRP ecosystem,” he said.

Despite these ambitions, XRP has faced recent market pressure, trading around $1.47 after a short-term decline. Like many digital assets, its performance remains closely tied to broader crypto market sentiment.

Expanding digital asset strategy

Beyond its Ripple stake, SBI is accelerating its digital asset expansion. The firm has announced plans to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based crypto platform Coinhako and is exploring the launch of a crypto asset ETF in Tokyo that would include Bitcoin and XRP, pending regulatory approval.

SBI has also supported initiatives focused on XRP yield products and tokenization, reflecting a broader push toward institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure in Asia.

Conclusion

SBI Holdings does not own $10 billion in XRP but instead holds a roughly 9% equity stake in Ripple Labs. That stake, currently valued at several billion dollars, could rise significantly if Ripple’s valuation increases. Meanwhile, both SBI and Ripple continue to deepen their roles in the evolving global digital asset ecosystem.

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