Crypto World
Riot Q1 results show Bitcoin pressure and AI data center growth
Riot Platforms reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $167.2 million. This compares with $161.4 million in the same quarter last year.
Summary
- Riot generated $167.2 million in Q1 revenue as data center income reached $33.2 million.
- AMD doubled its contracted Riot data center capacity to 50 megawatts after exercising an option.
- Riot sold 3,778 BTC in Q1 and later transferred another 500 BTC to NYDIG.
The company produced 1,473 Bitcoin during the quarter. That was lower than 1,530 Bitcoin produced in the first quarter of 2025.
Riot recorded its first quarter of data center revenue at $33.2 million. The amount included $0.9 million in operating lease revenue and $32.2 million from tenant fit-out services.
CEO Jason Les said the quarter marked a shift for Riot into a revenue-generating data center operator. He said, “The first quarter of 2026 marks a definitive inflection point for Riot.”
AMD doubles contracted capacity
Riot said AMD exercised an option for another 25 megawatts of capacity. This brings AMD’s total contracted capacity with Riot to 50 megawatts of critical IT capacity.
Les said AMD’s expansion “validates” Riot’s ability to deliver capacity for large tenants. The company said it now plans to use its approved power portfolio to grow the data center business.
Bitcoin sales continue amid mining pressure
Riot’s Bitcoin mining revenue fell to $111.9 million from $142.9 million a year earlier. The company linked the drop to lower average Bitcoin prices and a higher global network hash rate.
The average cost to mine Bitcoin, excluding depreciation, rose to $44,629. Riot said this was partly due to a 24% increase in the average global network hash rate.
Riot also disclosed that it sold 3,778 Bitcoin in Q1 2026. The sales generated $289.5 million in proceeds.
On-chain data cited by Lookonchain showed Riot later sent another 500 BTC to an NYDIG deposit address. The transfer was worth about $39 million at the time of reporting.
Riot stock rises after results
Riot ended the quarter with 15,679 Bitcoin. Of this amount, 5,802 Bitcoin were held as collateral. The total Bitcoin holdings were valued at about $1.1 billion based on a March 31 Bitcoin price of $68,222.
The company also held $282.5 million in cash, including $76.9 million in restricted cash. Riot shares closed at $17.24 on Thursday after gaining 7.9% during the session.
WHITE TECH has received authorization from Croatia’s Financial Services Supervisory Agency, HANFA, to operate as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA.
Summary
- WHITE TECH received MiCA authorization from Croatia’s HANFA regulator.
- The approval allows crypto exchange, custody, administration, and transfer services.
- WHITE TECH joins Croatia’s early MiCA-approved firms as EU crypto rules expand.
The company is part of the W Group ecosystem and is majority-owned by Volodymyr Nosov, founder and CEO of WhiteBIT. The approval allows WHITE TECH to offer regulated crypto services under the EU’s common framework.
WHITE TECH supports crypto exchange services, fiat-to-crypto conversion, and crypto-asset transfers for businesses and users.
Under the MiCA approval, the company can provide exchange services, custody and administration of crypto assets, and transfer services. It must also follow EU standards for governance, risk controls, and customer protection.
Croatia’s MiCA market takes shape
WHITE TECH is among the first companies in Croatia to receive MiCA authorization. The approval places the firm inside the EU’s unified regulatory system at an early stage.
Croatia has already started licensing crypto firms under MiCA. Electrocoin received HANFA approval in April, becoming the first company registered under the country’s crypto licensing process.
MiCA creates common rules for crypto firms across EU member states. The framework covers transparency, authorization, supervision, and user protection for crypto-asset service providers.
Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has dismissed claims that XRP could reach $10,000.
Summary
- David Schwartz said the $10,000 XRP prediction does not match normal market behavior.
- Schwartz said old XRP comments were about liquidity needs, not a future price promise.
- He also rejected claims of hidden government XRP deals, calling them conspiracy theories.
His comments came during an online debate about old XRP price discussions and market valuation models.
Schwartz said the idea does not match normal market behavior. He argued that if even a small chance of such a move existed, wealthy and rational investors would already be buying XRP heavily.
Old XRP comments return to focus
The debate followed renewed attention on a 2017 post in which Schwartz discussed XRP liquidity. Some users treated the old comments as a price target, but Schwartz said the post explained transaction needs, not a future price promise.
He had said XRP could not be “dirt cheap” if it handled very large payment flows. Schwartz later clarified that the point was about liquidity, market depth, and settlement size.
Additionally, Schwartz has also rejected claims that XRP is part of secret government or central bank plans. He described such claims as a “conspiracy theory” and warned investors against relying on hidden signals.
He said Ripple’s non-disclosure agreements relate to normal business privacy. According to Schwartz, they do not prove hidden government XRP deals or secret settlement plans.
Ripple seeks clearer market debate
Schwartz also addressed claims tied to Ripple’s escrow holdings. He said the escrow system remains visible on-chain and can be tracked by anyone.
The comments come as Ripple’s native token remains a major topic in crypto markets. XRP (XRP) traded near $1.37 to $1.38, with a market cap above $84 billion, according to crypto.news price data.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said personalized AI agents will reshape how people manage their daily tasks. He framed the technology as the next major phase in artificial intelligence adoption.
Pichai told Time magazine that agents can handle email triage, scheduling, and continuous monitoring of personal interests. He said internal Google teams have been working on agentic AI for years.
Pichai’s AI Agent Workflow Hints at Google’s Direction
Pichai described querying Gemini before executive meetings to surface what might be on a counterpart’s mind. He said decisions that previously required days of internal research now resolve in seconds.
The CEO said the tools have made him more productive in coding work. He argued that prompt-driven workflows free up time for higher-value tasks.
Such agentic tools have become integral to executive workflows at Google.
“It’s a command away. It’s a prompt away,” he stated.
Comments Follow Gemma 4 Release and Open Source Push
The interview lands days after Google’s April 2 release of Gemma 4. The family of open-source multimodal models was published under Apache 2.0.
The launch includes variants ranging from edge devices to a 31 billion parameter dense model. Each model targets a different deployment scenario, from phones to cloud data centers.
Pichai pointed to the release as evidence that no single company can build AI alone. He flagged energy infrastructure, cybersecurity, deepfake detection, and workforce reskilling as the immediate policy priorities for Google.
The comments arrive as AI agents drove more than 9,000 tech layoffs across 2026. Crypto teams are simultaneously racing to build identity layers for autonomous agents interacting with financial rails.
Pichai’s pitch suggests Google plans to anchor that shift rather than cede it. His timeline for the personalized agent era looks shorter than the broader industry consensus.
The post CEO Sundar Pichai Finally Reveals Google’s AI Direction appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
Paris Blockchain Week 2026. Arcanum and Mercuryo on institutional capital, MiCA, and crypto market maturity
At Paris Blockchain Week 2026, the conversation around digital assets felt different. The old divide between traditional finance and crypto-native firms appeared less relevant, replaced by discussions around capital deployment, regulation, execution, and market structure.
BeInCrypto spoke exclusively with Arcanum and Mercuryo to understand what institutional players want now, where Europe stands after MiCA, and how the market may evolve over the next two years.
What surprised you most at PBW, and what does European institutional capital want from crypto?
Michael Ivanov, Chief Executive Director at Arcanum Foundation: What struck me most was how the “us versus them” dynamic between traditional finance and crypto-native firms has effectively dissolved. It felt like a structural change, rather than a sentiment change.
The buy-side interest at PBW was precise. Privacy and composability on-chain are essential for serious institutional capital flows. European institutions are asking whether the market can support the accountability requirements they operate under. That is a fundamentally different conversation, and one that demands market-level answers rather than product pitches.
What from Arcanum Pulse’s retail roots still matters to institutions?
Michael Ivanov: More than most assume. The discipline of public, real-time verifiability — every trade on record, no black box — emerged from a retail context where trust has to be earned daily. What we are seeing now is institutional compliance teams arriving at the same requirement from a different direction. A live, auditable track record is not a retail feature. It is what a risk committee needs before it can approve an allocation.
What retail also forced us to do early was pass real scrutiny. To operate as an Official Broker on Bybit across our product line, we went through full KYB verification — the kind of institutional-grade compliance review most algo products never face because they never seek formal recognition from a regulated exchange.
That process matters. It means the trading statistics are not the only thing validated. The entity behind them has been validated too.
The architecture did not need to change for institutions. The framing around it did, but the compliance setup was already there. When a risk committee asks, “Does it perform?” and “Who is running this, and can we trust the structure around it?” we have answers that go beyond the chart.
During October’s liquidations, none of your clients lost deposits. What worked in the architecture?
Michael Ivanov: The strategy does not use stop-losses. What protected clients was the opposite of what most systems do under stress. Instead of cutting exposure, the algorithm read the volatility as an entry signal and executed diversified buys into the drawdown.
By the time markets recovered through the night, those positions were already in profit. That month ended with over 6% average return — one of the strongest in our track record, and it came precisely because of the liquidation event, not despite it.
The architecture is built to treat volatility as information, not threat. The risk management is in the entry logic and position sizing, not in exits. That distinction matters more than most people realise. A system that exits under pressure locks in losses. A system sized and diversified correctly from the start can stay in and capture the recovery.
What has MiCA changed in institutional demand, and where is the main bank-to-exchange bottleneck now?
Arthur Firstov, Chief Business officer at Mercuryo: The introduction of MiCA has provided much-needed legal grounding for institutions to adopt digital token services. The legislation has removed the ambiguity that existed before.
MiCA has opened the door for digital token services to be adopted in so-called TradFi payment systems. As for bottlenecks, here lies the opportunity, as fully compliant connectivity services remain critical for the industry to grow. It is in the linkages between TradFi and DeFi services where the battle will be won, and in this regard Mercuryo is playing an important role.
Is algorithmic trading becoming standard in crypto, or is this still a different market?
Michael Ivanov: It is becoming standard, but the conditions that make it reliable are still maturing. Liquidity depth in major pairs now supports serious algorithmic systems. The missing piece sits around custody arrangements, counterparty transparency, and jurisdiction-specific compliance.
In traditional markets, algos run on rails built over decades. In crypto, operators are stress-testing those rails in real time. That asymmetry is both the risk and the opportunity. The funds that build rigorous systems now will have structural advantages that are difficult to replicate once the market normalises.
How do you navigate regulatory fragmentation across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, and what risk is still being ignored?
Michael Ivanov: Regulatory fragmentation is not just a compliance problem. It is a product design problem.
Our decision to operate through Bybit, and to restrict access for users in the U.S. and EU, was not a workaround. It was a deliberate choice to stay within legally clear boundaries rather than test grey zones that could put clients at risk.
That discipline costs you some markets. It also means you are not carrying hidden regulatory exposure that surfaces at the worst possible moment.
What we observe across Asia, and particularly in Hong Kong, is a regulatory environment actively constructing frameworks to attract institutional capital. That is where we are building.
The risk still being ignored more widely is counterparty concentration. Most funds have not seriously stress-tested what happens if their primary exchange faces a liquidity event. Regulatory conversations focus on disclosure and custody. Operational concentration risk often sits outside that discussion.
Where do retail and small-fund infrastructure needs overlap, and where do they split?
Arthur Firstov: Retail and small fund infrastructure needs overlap more than people assume. Both require reliable on- and off-ramps, secure custody, compliant payments, clear reporting, and a user experience that reduces operational friction.
Nobody wants fragmented rails, settlement uncertainty, or systems that demand specialist knowledge to operate safely. These principles shape how Mercuryo thinks about its infrastructure, and why building for intuition, trust, and workflow integration sits at the centre of everything we do.
The differences emerge at the level of complexity, control, and accountability. Retail infrastructure is about simplicity and confidence. The priority is ease of use, fast transactions, and protections that limit the risk of user error.
Small funds need something different. Their infrastructure has to support multi-step approvals, role-based permissions, auditability, reconciliation, and more sophisticated reporting. They are managing mandates, controls, counterparties, and fiduciary obligations. That means the infrastructure has to support operational precision.
Retail can tolerate standardisation in a way small funds cannot. A retail user is well served by a streamlined product with limited choices. A small fund may need to tailor workflows around execution, custody arrangements, treasury policies, or jurisdiction-specific compliance requirements.
The overlap is secure, seamless, compliant infrastructure. The divergence is how much complexity the product needs to expose. For retail, good infrastructure hides complexity. For small funds, good infrastructure manages it. The strongest platforms are those that can serve both without treating them as the same user.
What needs to change by PBW 2028 for the institutional adoption story to look different?
Michael Ivanov: The products that matter by 2028 will not be the ones that solved a single problem well. They will be the ones that built the connective tissue between trading infrastructure, distribution, and on-chain capital flows — and did it in a way that scales across different types of participants, from individual allocators to institutional funds to exchanges building their own branded offerings.
That is the trajectory Arcanum Foundation is on. Arcanum Pulse was never meant to be a standalone bot. It is the foundation layer of a broader infrastructure — one that already powers white-label products for exchanges and funds, and that we are actively extending.
In the coming months, we will be bringing new products to market that expand what that infrastructure can do and who it can serve. We are not announcing them today, but the direction is consistent. We are building the layer others build on, not just a product they allocate to.
By 2028, the institutional adoption story looks different when the infrastructure is invisible — when the rails are so embedded in how capital moves through crypto markets that the question stops being “should we use algorithmic infrastructure” and starts being “which layer of it do we want to sit on.” We intend to be that layer.
The post Paris Blockchain Week 2026. Arcanum and Mercuryo on institutional capital, MiCA, and crypto market maturity appeared first on BeInCrypto.
BNB price is consolidating within a descending triangle pattern, with a horizontal support near $600 and a series of lower highs pressing against a downward-sloping resistance trendline, pointing to a potential breakdown.
Summary
- BNB price trades near $616, compressing within a descending triangle with key support at $600 and resistance around $625–$630.
- Price remains below major moving averages, with bearish MACD divergence and weakening momentum signaling downside risk toward $579–$580.
- Broader market pressure persists, with Fear & Greed Index in fear territory and Bitcoin’s $70K–$72K support seen as critical for BNB’s direction.
According to data from crypto.news, BNB (BNB) price was trading around $616 at press time on May 1, down roughly 1% over the past 24 hours. Over the past week, the token has largely moved between $600 and $635, reflecting a narrowing range as price compresses toward the apex of the triangle.
The asset remains significantly below its recent highs, still down more than 30% from levels above $900 seen earlier this year. Participation has also cooled, with price action lacking strong follow-through on either side. When price compresses near major support while volatility declines, it often signals that a larger move is approaching.
BNB price remains at risk of more downside as broader market conditions continue to weigh on risk assets like it.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains in fear territory at 26, indicating weak risk appetite among investors. Traders appear hesitant to aggressively buy dips, especially as macro uncertainty builds.
BNB also remains highly correlated with Bitcoin (BTC). Analysts warn that if Bitcoin loses the $73,000–$74,000 support range, it could trigger a broader market sell-off, increasing downside pressure on altcoins like BNB.
At the same time, macroeconomic factors are adding to volatility expectations. Concerns over the Federal Reserve maintaining higher interest rates have reduced liquidity in risk markets. Upcoming U.S. data releases, including Non-Farm Payrolls on May 8 and CPI data on May 12, could further drive sharp price swings.
BNB price analysis
The daily chart shows BNB forming a tightening descending triangle, with a flat support near $580 and a descending resistance trendline connecting lower highs since February.
Repeated tests of the $600–$610 zone suggest buyers are still defending this level. However, each bounce has been weaker, indicating fading demand.
Momentum indicators also lean bearish. BNB is currently trading below its 50-day simple moving average near $625, a level that has now turned into resistance. The 100-day and 200-day SMAs, positioned higher around $654 and $796, respectively, further reinforce the broader downtrend.
In addition, a bearish divergence has been observed on the MACD histogram on the daily timeframe, suggesting that upward momentum is weakening despite recent attempts to stabilize.
Hence, a clean breakdown below the $600 support would confirm the bearish structure and could open the door toward the next major support near $580.
On the other hand, a strong move above the descending trendline and reclaim of the $625–$630 zone could invalidate the setup and shift momentum back in favor of buyers, though current signals suggest that scenario carries lower probability in the short term.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse publicly reaffirmed the company’s strong commitment to XRP at the Bitcoin 2026 conference, directly confronting narratives suggesting the company has moved away from its native token.
The announcement came alongside news that Ripple is aggressively expanding into the Middle East and Africa.
CEO Confronts Skepticism
Speaking at the Vegas conference, Garlinghouse delivered a pointed message to critics. He stated that Ripple remains the largest holder of XRP worldwide and will continue supporting the token’s success.
“Ripple is extremely committed to make XRP the most useful digital asset, the most liquid digital asset, and the most trusted digital asset,” Garlinghouse said.
The statement directly addressed persistent criticism that Ripple abandoned XRP. Some observers argued that the company shifted its focus toward institutional payment solutions such as RippleNet and xCurrent, which do not require tokens.
Garlinghouse’s declaration signals that institutional payments and XRP adoption are complementary, not competing, strategies.
Middle East Expansion Accelerates
Beyond XRP commitments, Ripple announced the opening of a new regional headquarters in Dubai’s Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The move positions Ripple to expand operations across the Middle East and Africa. This region offers significant opportunities for the development of payment infrastructure and the adoption of blockchain technology.
Ripple’s treasury platform processes $12.5 trillion in annual payment volume across 13,000 connected banks. The Middle East expansion could unlock additional volume from regional financial institutions and payment providers.
XRP Army Vindication
The CEO’s remarks resonated deeply with XRP community members present at the conference. Years of skepticism about Ripple’s commitment to XRP have created tension between the company and its token holders.
Garlinghouse’s statement functioned as both reassurance and pushback. He emphasized that Ripple’s massive XRP holdings align the company with the interests of token holders. Ripple profits when XRP succeeds.
This alignment contrasts with narratives suggesting Ripple views XRP as baggage or a legacy obligation rather than a core strategic asset.
Institutional Adoption and XRP Integration
The CEO’s remarks suggest plans to more deeply integrate XRP into institutional payment flows. As RippleNet adoption grows, opportunities emerge to incorporate XRP settlement for certain transaction types.
Garlinghouse emphasized making XRP the most liquid digital asset. This implies building infrastructure that enables financial institutions to easily trade and hold XRP for settlement.
The three stated goals, most useful, most liquid, most trusted, paint a vision of XRP becoming the preferred settlement token for international payments.
Skeptics Remain
However, not all observers view Ripple’s strategy positively. Some argue utility remains limited despite years of development. Others contend that stablecoins like USDC offer superior payment characteristics.
Ripple’s commitment to XRP success must ultimately manifest in adoption metrics. Token holders will judge the company’s sincerity based on whether transaction volume and adoption accelerate following these announcements.
The post Ripple CEO Sends Strong XRP Signal From Las Vegas appeared first on BeInCrypto.
US-listed spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) finished April in the green as Bitcoin rallied throughout the month.
Bitcoin ETFs drew $1.97 billion in inflows in April, well above March’s $1.37 billion, marking their highest monthly inflows of the year, according to SoSoValue data.
With inflows in March and April offsetting outflows in January and February, Bitcoin ETFs now show about $1.47 billion in net inflows for 2026. The cumulative net inflows to the products since they launched have topped $58 billion.
Monthly spot Bitcoin ETF flows in 2026. Source: SoSoValue
The April inflows came alongside a 12% rise in Bitcoin, its strongest monthly gain since April 2025, when it rose more than 14%, according to CryptoRank.
April’s data comes ahead of the 13F filing season in May, when major financial institutions will disclose their holdings in crypto ETFs for the first quarter of 2026.
ETFs post $490 million in late-month outflows
Late-month redemptions were not enough to offset April’s inflows. The ETFs saw around $490 million in outflows during three days in late April.
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) was the dominant driver of gains in April, bringing around $2 billion in net inflows. On the other hand, Grayscale Investments’ Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) was the biggest loser, with net outflows totaling around $280 million.
Daily spot Bitcoin ETF flows by issuer since April 27, 2026. Source: Farside
The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ETF (MSBT), which began trading on April 8, generated around $194 million in inflows, with no single day of outflows over the month.
The first month of gains for Ether ETFs since October 2025
April’s positive trend extended to some altcoin ETFs, with Ether (ETH) funds logging their first monthly inflow since October 2025, at $356 million versus about $570 million in October 2025.
Still, Ether ETFs remain in negative territory after four months of 2026, with about $413 million in net outflows year to date, according to SoSoValue. The cumulative net inflows since launch stood at about $11.9 billion.
Monthly spot Ether ETF flows since October 2025. Source: SoSoValue
XRP funds also surged in April, logging their strongest month since December 2025 with $81.6 million of inflows. The ETFs saw about $124 million in net inflows across the first four months of 2026, while total cumulative inflows stand at around $1.3 billion.
Related: Bitcoin risks extended retreat as April rally was futures-driven: CryptoQuant
Dogecoin (DOGE) ETFs rallied in April as well, logging $2 million of inflows, accounting for roughly 21% of total cumulative inflows of about $9.6 million.
Meanwhile, Solana (SOL) ETFs saw $38.7 million in April inflows, the smallest monthly total on record, compared with cumulative inflows of about $1 billion.
Key Highlights
- Virtual assets excluded from Brazil’s regulated foreign exchange payment infrastructure
- Central bank enforces stricter supervision over international crypto-based transactions
- Resolution bars stablecoins from operating within authorized settlement systems
- Regulated payment providers prohibited from using crypto for cross-border services
- Rising stablecoin adoption prompts Brazil to implement stronger payment oversight
Brazil has prohibited the use of virtual assets for settlement within its regulated foreign exchange payment infrastructure, strengthening oversight of cryptocurrency-related cross-border transactions. Banco Central do Brasil released Resolution BCB No. 561, revising guidelines for international payment service providers. Under these updated provisions, cryptocurrencies and stablecoins are now excluded from settling transactions through supervised payment channels.
Central Bank Prohibits Virtual Assets in Foreign Exchange Infrastructure
According to Banco Central do Brasil, eFX service providers must execute foreign exchange transactions when processing payments involving international counterparties. Alternatively, they may utilize movements through non-resident Brazilian real accounts as permitted by the revised regulation. The resolution explicitly prohibits virtual assets from being used for these payment and receipt activities.
This regulation governs authorized international payments and transfers operating under Brazil‘s foreign exchange regulatory structure. It impacts companies functioning within the official eFX ecosystem. Service providers are forbidden from utilizing cryptocurrencies or stablecoins as settlement instruments within this supervised framework.
The directive does not constitute a comprehensive prohibition on cryptocurrency activity in the country. Crypto transfers remain permissible outside the designated eFX infrastructure. Rather, the central bank has eliminated one regulated pathway for virtual asset settlement.
Temporary Provisions Apply to Unauthorized Service Providers
The resolution establishes transitional arrangements for companies not yet included on the authorized eFX provider registry. These entities may maintain operations while pursuing central bank approval. They must submit authorization requests by the May 31, 2027 deadline.
During this interim phase, these firms must adhere to identical settlement requirements. Their transaction processing must rely on foreign exchange operations or non-resident real account movements. Virtual assets remain prohibited even during the pre-approval period.
Brazil seeks to maintain cross-border payment operations within regulated financial infrastructure. The regulation provides the central bank with enhanced monitoring capabilities over payment flows. It restricts the application of private cryptocurrency settlement within authorized international transfer services.
Expanding Stablecoin Adoption Prompts Enhanced Regulatory Measures
Brazil has strengthened cryptocurrency supervision as stablecoins assume a more prominent position in domestic financial activity. Regulatory authorities incorporated virtual assets into the financial and foreign exchange regulatory framework in November 2025. These provisions established licensing requirements for virtual asset service providers.
The central bank has connected stablecoin activity to issues regarding tax compliance, money laundering vulnerabilities, and reserve transparency. Authorities have examined tokens created beyond Brazil’s regulatory jurisdiction. As a result, certain stablecoins may encounter stringent restrictions in the local marketplace.
The recent eFX prohibition reinforces Brazil’s broader initiative toward supervised crypto payment infrastructure. It also safeguards the foreign exchange system from unregulated settlement mechanisms. Brazil is establishing more defined boundaries between cryptocurrency usage and regulated payment infrastructure.
SBI Group has partnered with Visa on a credit card product that allows users to earn crypto assets through card rewards.
Summary
- SBI’s Visa card lets users earn crypto rewards in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP.
- SBI VC Trade and Aplus will support the crypto rewards and card service.
- SBI is also discussing a Bitbank deal to expand its Japan crypto exchange presence.
The card supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP rewards through SBI VC Trade and Aplus. The product links daily card spending with crypto rewards. It also shows SBI’s continued push to connect traditional finance with regulated digital asset services in Japan.
Meanwhile, the new card gives users exposure to major crypto assets without direct spot purchases. Rewards are tied to BTC, ETH, and XRP, which are among the most traded digital assets in Japan.
SBI VC Trade will support the crypto side of the service. Aplus, part of SBI Shinsei Bank Group, will support the credit card and points structure.
Bitbank talks add exchange growth angle
The card launch comes as SBI Holdings is also seeking a larger role in Japan’s crypto exchange market. As we reported earlier today, SBI has started talks with Bitbank over a capital and business alliance that could make Bitbank a consolidated subsidiary.
The company plans to acquire shares after due diligence and internal procedures. The timing and structure of the transaction will be discussed later.
Moreover, SBI’s Bitbank talks follow SBI VC Trade’s merger with Bitpoint Japan in April 2026. This shows faster consolidation among Japanese crypto platforms.
Earlier this week, Bitbank has also expanded into crypto-linked payments. Its EPOS Crypto Card allows users to settle monthly bills with bitcoin balances and offers 0.5% cashback in crypto.
Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings plans to acquire a stake in Bitbank, one of the country’s largest crypto exchanges.
The Tokyo-based broker submitted a letter of intent to Bitbank Co., Ltd. regarding the purchase of the exchange’s shares with the goal of turning it into a consolidated subsidiary, according to an announcement on Friday.
SBI frames the Bitbank move as part of its broader strategy to expand its crypto footprint and strengthen its position ahead of potential regulatory changes in Japan.
Japan’s cabinet approved a draft amendment last month that would classify cryptocurrencies as financial products, bringing crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, which is used for stocks and other securities. If passed during the current parliament session, the law could take effect as early as fiscal 2027.
SBI already absorbed Bitpoint, a regulated Japanese crypto exchange that offers spot trading and has offered an onchain bond from which investors can receive rewards in XRP.
The move is also part of SBI’s broader regional expansion push, having disclosed plans to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based Coinhako, a MAS-regulated digital asset platform in February.
SBI has also commenced a Visa partnership to launch credit cards that automatically convert spending rewards into crypto (BTC, ETH, or XRP), enabling users to accumulate digital assets through everyday purchases, according to a separate announcement on Friday.
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