SBI’s Bold Move: XRP ETF Launch in Japan Could Supercharge Returns on 9% Ripple Stake Post-IPO

SBI Holdings just dropped a bombshell—Japan's first XRP ETF is coming, and it could turbocharge their 9% stake in Ripple after its long-awaited IPO. Wall Street analysts are already salivating over the potential payday.

The play? Leverage XRP's institutional appeal while sidestepping the SEC's regulatory circus. SBI's banking arm is betting big that crypto ETFs are the golden ticket to mainstream adoption—or at least a juicy exit strategy.

One Tokyo fund manager quipped: 'Nothing solves regulatory headaches like repackaging assets into something pension funds can buy.' The FSA hasn't blinked yet—but with Japan's $6T investment market at stake, this could be the domino that matters.

Institutions Rally Behind XRP  The development comes on the heels of growing institutional interest in XRP globally. As previously reported, the Ontario Securities Commission approved the launch of two spot XRP ETFs in Canada in June.  In the U.S., where the SEC has approved the launch of several Bitcoin-only spot ETFs, more than 10 asset managers are seeking to roll out a similar product for XRP.  Although the U.S. SEC approved two separate basket ETFs featuring XRP – the Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLC) and Bitwise index fund (BITW) – the regulator immediately halted their launch.  Now, Ripple’s longstanding partner SBI Japan is seeking to launch a basket ETF comprising XRP and Bitcoin, and another product tied to BTC and gold.  Notably, SBI expects the Japanese financial services agency's latest efforts to treat cryptocurrencies as legitimate financial instruments to influence approval of the ETFs.  SBI Expects Significant Returns on 9% Ripple Stake  Meanwhile, SBI stated that its investment balance has grown 2.8x over the past five years, reaching 795.1 billion JPY ($5.37 billion) at the end of Q2 2025. Interestingly, the Japanese financial giant expects most companies it has invested in to go public over the next two years.  If this happens, SBI expects to see significant gains, particularly on its 9% stake in Ripple. According to the firm, the valuation of that 9% stake will be clarified through a potential Ripple IPO or any equivalent event.  In the meantime, Ripple has yet to disclose its IPO plans, as the company is focused on expanding its footprint globally. Notably, SBI, which currently leverages XRP for its international remittance solution, is considering handling Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin.