SBI Holdings CEO Yoshitaka Kitao disputed a viral claim that the Japanese financial group holds $10 billion worth of XRP, saying the company’s more significant exposure to the Ripple ecosystem is through its equity stake in Ripple Labs. Kitao suggested that stake may be undervalued by the market compared with headline figures tied to token holdings.
CEO Rebuts $10 Billion XRP Claim
The discussion emerged after social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) characterized SBI as holding a massive XRP position. Kitao pushed back on that portrayal, emphasizing that SBI’s strategic exposure is better reflected in its ownership interest in Ripple Labs rather than any direct XRP holdings figure.
Focus on Ripple Equity Stake
Kitao highlighted SBI’s equity investment in Ripple Labs as the more consequential component of the group’s involvement with the Ripple ecosystem. He indicated the market may be underappreciating the potential value of that stake. Kitao did not provide specific figures for SBI’s XRP holdings or the size of its Ripple equity position.
Background: SBI and Ripple
SBI Holdings, a major Japanese financial services group, has maintained a long-standing relationship with Ripple Labs, the U.S.-based company behind enterprise blockchain payment solutions and a key developer of the XRP Ledger. XRP is the native token of the XRP Ledger, used for value transfer and liquidity within Ripple’s broader ecosystem.
Social Media Context
The exchange followed renewed online attention on corporate crypto holdings, a recurring theme in digital asset markets where token balances are often conflated with overall exposure. Kitao’s comments aimed to redirect focus from speculative token tallies to SBI’s strategic equity interests in Ripple Labs.