SBI Holdings Expands into Digital Assets with Partnerships and Tokenization Project

SBI Holdings has partnered with US stablecoin firms Circle and Ripple, and Singapore-based Web3 company Startale, to promote stablecoin adoption and develop an onchain trading platform for tokenized assets. The partnership with Circle will see SBI promote USDC in Japan, while the partnership with Ripple will see SBI's crypto unit distribute Ripple's new stablecoin, RLUSD. SBI will also work with Startale to build an onchain platform for tokenized stocks and real-world assets, enabling round-the-clock trading.

In a strategic move to enhance its digital finance capabilities, SBI Holdings has partnered with US stablecoin firms Circle and Ripple, and Singapore-based Web3 company Startale. The partnerships aim to promote stablecoin adoption and develop an on-chain trading platform for tokenized assets.

SBI Holdings will collaborate with Circle to promote the adoption of USDC (US Dollar Coin) in Japan. Circle is a USDC issuer, and the partnership will explore new use cases for the stablecoin in the Web3 and digital finance domains [1]. Additionally, SBI will work with Ripple to distribute Ripple's new stablecoin, RLUSD (Ripple USD), in Japan through its crypto subsidiary, SBI VC Trade. The distribution is expected to commence during the fiscal year ending March 2026 [2].

In a separate venture, SBI will partner with Startale to build an on-chain trading platform for tokenized stocks and real-world assets (RWAs). The platform will enable 24/7 trading and settlement, capturing the growing trend of tokenizing traditional assets [3]. Startale, known for co-developing Sony's layer-2 blockchain Soneium and Astar Network, will leverage its blockchain technology to create a decentralized platform with SBI.

SBI CEO Yoshitaka Kitao expressed optimism about the potential of these partnerships, stating, "We predict that this movement will eventually lead to the digitalization of capital markets themselves, including exchanges" [3]. The platform with Startale is expected to be highly interoperable, always open, and accessible to users worldwide, with features including fractional ownership, institutional-grade custody, and real-time compliance monitoring.

These partnerships underscore SBI Holdings' commitment to leveraging blockchain technology to drive innovation and growth in the financial services sector. As major financial players globally experiment with tokenization, SBI's initiatives position the company at the forefront of these transformative trends.

References:

[1] https://cointelegraph.com/news/sbi-japan-blockchain-partnership-circle-ripple-startale
[2] https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/08/22/ripple-sbi-plan-rlusd-stablecoin-distribution-in-japan-by-2026
[3] https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/08/21/japan-s-sbi-holdings-joins-tokenized-stock-push-with-startale-joint-venture