A 10 billion yen blockchain bond launched earlier this year by SBI Holdings 
may say more about Japan&#8217;s XRP ambitions than any price prediction could. 
Crypto commentator Stellar Rippler brought the SBI CEO&#8217;s remarks to light, 
sparking fresh debate over XRP&#8217;s outlook. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETFs 
Gaining Ground, Could Soon Surpass Gold—Analyst SBI&#8217;s Long Game With Ripple 
The Tokyo-based financial giant issued the bond in February 2026, offering 
investors returns paid out in XRP — a first for a major Japanese financial 
institution. The move came alongside plans to roll out Ripple&#8217;s RLUSD 
stablecoin through SBI&#8217;s licensed exchange in Japan, and a new partnership 
between SBI Ripple Asia and the Asia Web3 Alliance Japan to back startups 
building financial tools on the XRP Ledger. SBI&#8217;s ties to Ripple run deep. The 
company has been Ripple&#8217;s largest external shareholder since the two firms 
launched SBI Ripple Asia in 2016. That joint venture has spent nearly a decade 
building cross-border payment corridors across Japan, South Korea, India, and 
the Philippines — real infrastructure, not just announcements. “XRP WILL BE 
VERY EXPENSIVE.” No, this is not just David Schwartz’s confession. This was 
also said by the biggest financial giant of Japan, Yoshitaka Kitao, SBI 
Holdings CEO. SBI is Ripple’s largest external shareholder. And he says 
clearly: “XRP will be very expensive.”… pic.twitter.com/mixB533ymR — Stellar 
Rippler🚀 (@Stellar_Rippler) April 3, 2026 CEO&#8217;s Words Draw Attention Against 
that backdrop, comments from SBI Holdings CEO Yoshitaka Kitao are drawing 
renewed attention. Kitao stated plainly that XRP &#8220;will be very expensive.&#8221; He 
also pointed to the ongoing legal proceedings between Ripple and US 
regulators, saying a court ruling in Ripple&#8217;s favor could trigger a 
significant jump in XRP&#8217;s price. &#8220;If the decision is made and Ripple&#8217;s XRP is 
a coin, I think it will be a big price,&#8221; Kitao said. &#8220;If the conclusion is 
positive, I think it will be great.&#8221; His remarks were shared widely in crypto 
circles after being posted on social media. Coming from the head of one of 
Japan&#8217;s largest financial services groups — one with direct financial stakes 
in Ripple — the statement landed differently than typical market commentary. 
Kitao appeared to believe a ruling could come within weeks, based on reports 
circulating at the time. No confirmed court date has been publicly announced. 
A Partnership Still Expanding What makes the CEO&#8217;s comments worth following is 
the weight SBI carries in the Ripple story. This isn&#8217;t a speculative 
endorsement from the sidelines. SBI has put real money, real products, and 
real institutional infrastructure behind XRP over nearly a decade. Related 
Reading: XRP Eyes $8.30 Target As Rare Chart Pattern Emerges From Prolonged 
Decline The February bond alone — worth roughly $64 million — signals that SBI 
is not pulling back. It is doubling down, using XRP as a direct reward 
mechanism for its investors in a market where regulatory approval for such 
products is hard-won. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

XRP Headed For A Price Shock, Japan’s Financial Heavyweight Says

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that New Jersey cannot use state gambling 
law to shut down Kalshi’s sports prediction market, handing the federally 
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from enforcing state gambling rules against […]

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EDX Markets’ bid for a federal trust bank charter is not just another crypto 
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market structure to crypto through a […]
The post Citadel and Fidelity just made their clearest move yet to rebuild 
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Citadel and Fidelity just made their clearest move yet to rebuild crypto like Wall Street

Binance’s effort to rebuild its compliance operation after a $4.3 billion US 
guilty plea is under renewed pressure as several staff overseeing 
financial‑crime monitoring and sanctions checks leave and Chief Compliance 
Officer Noah Perlman weighs his own departure, according to…

Binance’s chief compliance officer weighs exit as crime monitors depart

Skepticism over Iran&#8217;s moderation claim highlights persistent geopolitical 
tensions, impacting market stability and investor confidence.
The post Trump claims Iran&#8217;s leadership is more moderate, but traders remain 
skeptical: FT appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Cryptocurrency price in BRL