SBI Acquires Singapore's Coinhako After MAS Approval
Japanese financial giant secures regulated crypto foothold in Singapore with Coinhako majority stake.
SBI Holdings secured Monetary Authority of Singapore approval to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based crypto exchange Coinhako, as of July 2026, according to CoinTelegraph.
Why It Matters
For iGaming and crypto finance operators, this deal signals accelerating institutional consolidation in Southeast Asian digital asset infrastructure. SBI Holdings — one of Japan's largest financial conglomerates — gains a regulated foothold in Singapore's crypto market, one of Asia's most closely watched licensing jurisdictions. Coinhako holds a Major Payment Institution licence from MAS, giving SBI direct access to compliant stablecoin distribution, onchain finance rails, and tokenized asset settlement. Players and platforms routing payments through Singapore-regulated exchanges will increasingly interact with infrastructure backed by bank-grade balance sheets.
Context
SBI Holdings already operates SBI VC Trade, a licensed Japanese crypto exchange, and has invested across blockchain infrastructure in Asia for several years. Singapore's MAS has tightened its crypto licensing regime since 2022, making an approved acquisition there considerably harder to execute than in less regulated markets — which raises the strategic value of Coinhako's existing licence. The deal extends SBI's stated push into stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, areas drawing heavy institutional capital as of mid-2026.
What's Next
SBI will likely integrate Coinhako's MAS-regulated infrastructure into its broader stablecoin and tokenized asset roadmap; watch for product announcements targeting cross-border payment corridors between Japan and Southeast Asia.
Gambling and crypto investment both carry financial risk. This article is informational only.
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