Ripple Partner SBI Officially Acquires Bitbank in $289 Million Deal, Expanding Crypto Assets Beyond $7 BillionSBI Holdings, Ripple's longest-standing strategic partner in Asia, has the deal of acquiring leading Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank for 46.7 billion yen (approximately $289 million). More notably, this landmark deal is one of the in Japan's history and will make SBI the country's biggest digital asset operator by assets under management. Once the transaction closes, Bitbank will become a consolidated subsidiary of SBI Holdings, formalizing discussions that began in May. The acquisition significantly expands SBI's footprint in Japan's regulated crypto sector. Why It Matters for RippleThe deal carries broader significance because of SBI's nearly decade-long partnership with Ripple.