SBI Holdings announced that it will officially launch negotiations for a capital and business cooperation agreement with bitbank operator bitbank Inc. on May 1, 2026. SBI Holdings stated that the cooperation aims to acquire a stake in bitbank, making it a merged subsidiary. The specific acquisition percentage and timing will be determined after due diligence. Bitbank had planned to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by mid-2025 and boasts an industry-leading security record. If the transaction is completed, the SBI Group will integrate its various major exchanges, including SBI VC Trade, BITPoint Japan, and bitbank, becoming Japan's largest cryptocurrency platform group. (CoinPost)