SBI Holdings is expanding its long-running Ripple strategy into a broader digital finance structure built around $XRP, $RLUSD, tokenized securities, crypto rewards, exchange operations and cross-border payments.
The Japanese financial group has maintained close ties with Ripple since 2016 and remains one of its largest external shareholders, with an estimated 9% equity stake. In 2026, that relationship has moved beyond investment into practical financial products across banking, securities, stablecoins and payment infrastructure.
SBI VC Trade began distributing Ripple’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, $RLUSD, in Japan on March 31, 2026. The rollout follows Japan’s revised Payment Services Act, with SBI VC Trade operating as a licensed electronic payment instrument exchange service provider.
$RLUSD is backed 1:1 by U.S. dollar deposits, short-term U.S. Treasuries and cash equivalents. Deloitte provides monthly reserve attestations, and February 2026 figures showed $1.568 billion in reserves against 1.49 billion tokens in circulation.
$XRP Moves Into Rewards, Bonds and Banking
SBI has placed $XRP into several financial products aimed at shareholders, bond investors and banking users. On May 1, 2026, the group announced that six listed subsidiaries, including SBI Shinsei Bank and SBI Insurance Group, would distribute $XRP rewards to eligible shareholders.
The shareholder benefit program applies to investors who held at least 100 shares as of the March 31, 2026 record date. Holders of 100 to 999 shares are set to receive 500 yen worth of $XRP. Investors with 1,000 or more shares may receive up to 1,000 yen in $XRP depending on holding period.
SBI also issued SBI START Bonds, a 10 billion yen tokenized bond program worth about $64.5 million. The three-year securities carry an indicative annual yield of 1.85% to 2.45% and are recorded onchain through BOOSTRY’s ibet for Fin platform.
Eligible bond investors can receive $XRP rewards alongside interest payments. Retail buyers and companies investing at least 100,000 yen and holding an SBI VC Trade account qualify for $XRP bonuses through 2029.
$RLUSD and XRPL Add Settlement Infrastructure
$RLUSD gives SBI a regulated stablecoin layer for institutional settlement and digital asset services. The stablecoin operates under a New York State Department of Financial Services limited-purpose trust charter, with reserves held in segregated accounts.
On the $XRP Ledger, $RLUSD can settle in about three to five seconds, with average transaction fees near $0.0002. It also uses interoperability infrastructure for Ethereum layer-2 networks such as Base and Optimism.
SBI has also worked with Circle to introduce USDC in Japan, showing that stablecoins are becoming part of its wider digital asset strategy. $RLUSD adds a Ripple-linked component to that structure.
SBI Ripple Asia has completed its $XRP Ledger token issuance platform and secured registration as a third-party prepaid payment instrument issuer. That step adds a regulated token issuance layer to SBI’s blockchain payment plans in Japan.
The company is also supporting Ripple’s 2026 plan to move the $XRP Ledger toward a more decentralized, community-driven funding model through regional hubs and venture partners.
Bitbank, Remittance Rails and Market Expansion
SBI Holdings, as we reported, has opened discussions with Bitbank Co., Ltd., operator of the Bitbank crypto exchange, over a possible capital and business alliance. The talks could lead to Bitbank becoming a consolidated subsidiary, strengthening SBI’s position in Japan’s crypto exchange market.
SBI Remit has also confirmed the use of Ripple’s distributed ledger technology in a partnership with Tottori Bank. The arrangement supports low-value cross-border transfers and adds another Ripple-powered payment channel inside Japan’s banking system.
SBI CEO Yoshitaka Kitao has said Japanese banks have begun adopting $XRP for international payments as they seek alternatives to legacy transfer systems for certain payment categories.
The broader strategy also connects to Ripple’s global regulatory expansion. Ripple has received approvals in the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and applied for a U.S. national banking license in 2025.
SBI’s 2026 activity shows a coordinated plan across digital securities, stablecoins, crypto exchanges, remittances and shareholder rewards. $XRP remains a recurring asset across the structure, while $RLUSD adds a dollar settlement layer for institutional use.
Together, SBI and Ripple are building a regulated financial network that connects traditional banking products with blockchain-based settlement, token issuance and digital asset access in Japan.
