Japanese securities giant to issue $65 million worth of XRP-paying blockchain bonds

Group 1: Company Developments - SBI Holdings plans to issue approximately $65 million worth of onchain bonds, with a fixed interest rate between 1.85% and 2.45%, maturing in early 2029 [1] - The bonds will provide owners with $1.29 worth of XRP for every $645 worth of bonds owned, targeting retail investors [1][4] - SBI's CEO Yoshitaka Kitao confirmed a 9% stake in Ripple Labs, while dismissing claims of holding $10 billion worth of XRP [4] Group 2: Market Trends - Ripple and consulting firms like Boston Consulting Group predict "exponential" mid-term growth in tokenised financial products, potentially reaching a market size of $68 trillion by 2030 [2] - Major financial firms in Japan, including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Nomura, are entering the tokenised securities market, with Nomura having announced a $52 million securities token issuance [3] - Global tokenisation efforts are also seen in Europe and the US, with firms like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton utilizing blockchain networks for tokenisation [7] Group 3: Technological Integration - SBI's new bond issuance will utilize the ibet for Fin platform developed by blockchain startup Boostry, which also provided services for Nomura's token offerings [5][6] - Only account holders at SBI's crypto exchange subsidiary, SBI VC Trade, will qualify for the XRP rewards program associated with the bond issuance [6]