SBI Group acquires Singapore cryptocurrency platform Coinhako

Japan's SBI Group completes the acquisition of Singapore encryption platform Coinhako

SBI Holdings confirmed that Coinhako became its merged subsidiary on July 16, 2026 after obtaining approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore for capital injection and share purchase. According to the completion announcement, the transaction will be completed once MAS approves the capital injection and acquires shares from existing shareholders. The deal translates a majority equity investment plan first proposed earlier this year into a full integration of one of Singapore's oldest exchanges.

SBI first disclosed its intention to inject capital into Coinhako and purchase shares through SBI Ventures Asset on February 13, 2026. The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. All these approvals have been obtained.

Significance of SBI Group's acquisition of Coinhako

The completion announcement shows that Coinhako has obtained the MAS license through Hako Technology Pte, a large payment institution. Ltd. operates in Singapore and operates in The British Virgin Islands through registered virtual asset service provider Alpha Hako Limited. Hako Technology has been included in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory of Regulated Institutions.

The approval process is not limited to Singapore. SBI said it has obtained additional approval from The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission to make Alpha Hako a subsidiary, expanding the scope of the transaction to Coinhako's two regulated jurisdictions. SBI linked the acquisition to its broader digital asset strategy in Asia, including expanding its JPYSC stablecoin ecosystem. The acquisition price and Coinhako's valuation were not disclosed in the completion materials.

Importance of Coinhako's Singapore market position

[TAG Coinhako said that 2026 marks its 12th year of operation, making it one of the earliest established crypto platforms in Singapore. This long operating history, coupled with MAS payment licenses, is the core reason why the acquisition is viewed as strategic rather than routine. Singapore's position as a license-oriented hub gives regulated entities such as Coinhako significant influence in the region. The city-state's regulatory framework coexists with increasingly tightening regimes elsewhere in Asia, including Japan's reclassification of cryptocurrencies as financial products and Hong Kong's tightening of platform security rules.

Coinhako disclosed size data highlighting its market position. The company said it has facilitated more than $10 billion in crypto settlements in the past two years, and its options trading desk will exceed $1 billion in total trading volume in 2025. Its revenue products have also achieved growth. Coinhako Earn's committed assets exceed US$200 million, and structured product trading volume has increased by 450% year-on-year. These data indicate that market demand has surpassed pure spot trading.

Potential impact on users and the broader encryption industry

Yusho Liu, CEO of Coinhako Group, views this result as a continuation rather than a break for platform users. "Joining SBI Group is the next chapter in Coinhako's natural development. "For SBI, the strategic advantages are concentrated in the settlement infrastructure. Joseph Goh of Sygnum Bank said SBI's gain will be in building a yen-denominated on-chain settlement system across Asia, linking the acquisition to JPYSC's vision.

Any integration impact that may have on Coinhako users, from the product roadmap to the potential JPYSC launch, remains forward-looking and is not detailed in the completion announcement. What has been confirmed is the change in ownership and the regulatory status of the acquired entity. The transaction was completed against a backdrop of cautious market sentiment. Bitcoin traded at approximately US$63,926, a 24-hour gain of approximately 0.47%, providing readers with a basic reference to the crypto market-although this report itself focuses on strategic and regulatory drivers.

Bitcoin benchmark price

US$63,926

Market sentiment indicator

On July 18, 2026, the Fear and Greed Index read 25, or "Extreme Fear," indicating that overall market sentiment remains cautious despite SBI being actively promoting regulated regional expansion.

The integration adds a licensed Southeast Asian exchange to SBI's growing digital asset landscape, reflecting the trend of mainstream financial groups deepening their deployment in the crypto space-a trend that also constitutes a background framework for reporting on established exchange operators that have reached scale milestones.