The Japanese financial corporation SBI Holdings, along with its subsidiary SBI Shinsei Bank, has invested a total of $50 million in Circle, one of the leading issuers of the USDC stablecoin in the United States. Each party contributed $25 million, marking the largest investment among Circle’s international partners following its initial public offering (IPO).
This is reported by Бізнес • Медіа
Circle’s Stock Market Debut and Stock Performance
On June 5, 2025, Circle officially debuted on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This IPO was the most significant event among fintech companies since Coinbase’s listing in 2021. The initial stock price of Circle was set at $69, significantly exceeding the initial offering of $31. The first trading day closed at $83 per share, demonstrating a growth of over 200%.
SBI Holdings’ Strategy in Digital Finance
SBI Group received one of the largest allocations of Circle shares, highlighting the growing interest of institutional investors in digital assets. The investment in Circle is a logical continuation of SBI Holdings’ strategy to develop digital finance: previously, the company had already made several investments in key blockchain companies such as 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 in November 2023, they signed a strategic partnership agreement to expand Circle’s presence in the Japanese market. Additionally, the SBI-controlled exchange SBI VC Trade was the first in Japan to initiate a public offering of the USDC stablecoin.
“In recent years, dollar-pegged stablecoins have increasingly been viewed 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 this investment, SBI Holdings and SBI Shinsei Bank intend to further expand their collaboration with Circle, focusing on creating a platform for integrating USDC into Japan’s financial infrastructure.
It is worth noting that recently, investment firm Ark Invest acquired nearly 4.5 million shares of Circle for $373 million, indicating a growing interest from global investors in this stablecoin issuer.