SBI Holdings, along with its subsidiary SBI Shinsei Bank, made the largest investment among international partners in Circle following its debut on the New York Stock Exchange. The Japanese financial holding invested $50 million in shares of the American stablecoin issuer USDC, splitting the amount evenly between the two institutions.
This is reported by Finway
Investment Details and Circle’s Stock Performance After IPO
After Circle’s official listing on the NYSE on June 5, 2025, the company’s shares opened at $69, significantly exceeding the initial offering of $31. The first trading day closed at $83 per share, representing a growth of over 200%. This IPO has become the most notable event for the fintech sector since Coinbase’s stock listing in 2021.
As a result of increased interest among institutional investors, SBI Group received one of the largest allocations of Circle shares, further confirming its active position in the digital finance market.
SBI Holdings’ Strategy in Digital Assets
The investment in Circle is a logical continuation of SBI Group’s strategy to develop digital finance and integrate crypto assets into the traditional financial system. Previously, the company had already invested in leading blockchain companies, including Ripple Labs, R3, and Securitize, and established joint ventures SBI Ripple Asia and SBI R3 Japan.
In March 2025, SBI Group and Circle established a joint venture, Circle SBI Japan KK, and earlier, in November 2023, signed a strategic partnership agreement. Additionally, the SBI-controlled exchange SBI VC Trade was the first in Japan to launch a public offering of the USDC stablecoin.
“In recent years, dollar-pegged stablecoins have increasingly been seen as an effective tool for international transfers. SBI Group is actively developing its partnership with Circle, anticipating regulatory easing in Japan,” the company stated in an official announcement.
Following the investment in Circle, SBI Holdings and SBI Shinsei Bank plan to deepen their collaboration by developing a platform for integrating USDC into Japan’s financial infrastructure. This move is expected to promote broader use of stablecoins in the country and expand digital financial services.
It was previously reported that Ark Invest acquired nearly 4.5 million shares of Circle for $373 million.