Rakuten Group Invests in XRP ETF as Part of Broader Crypto Strategy

Rakuten Group's Investment in Cryptocurrency

In a recent disclosure to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Rakuten Group, a leading technology and financial services conglomerate from Japan, has revealed that it holds shares in a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF). This move comes as Rakuten aims to diversify its investments in the cryptocurrency sector, alongside its existing positions in assets linked to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. As of September 30, 2026, the total value of these cryptocurrency positions was estimated at approximately $6.42 million.

Details of Rakuten's Holdings

The 13F filing indicates that Rakuten owns 6,690 shares of the Bitwise XRP ETF, which have a current value of around $77,000, based on the latest XRP price of $1.03 and Bitwise's trading price of $11.51. This represents a minor stake in Rakuten's extensive U.S. portfolio, which totals about $1.4 billion, prominently featuring shares of AST SpaceMobile, a satellite operator. The stakes in cryptocurrency ETFs collectively constitute less than 0.5% of the entire U.S. portfolio held by Rakuten.

In addition to the Bitwise XRP ETF, Rakuten's largest holding is in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, valued at just under $5.9 million at the end of Q3 2026. The conglomerate also has investments in the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF and the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF, worth $263,632 and $150,728, respectively.

Institutional Investment Landscape

The filing underscores Rakuten's significant presence in the institutional investment landscape, aligning it with other notable investors, such as Raymond James Financial, which has also reported holdings in spot XRP ETFs.

Despite recent downturns in the spot XRP ETFs, which saw a total outflow of nearly $18 million over two days earlier this month, the overall net inflows since the inception of these funds are reported at $1.79 billion. At present, the Bitwise XRP ETF leads in size among its peers with net assets amounting to approximately $420 million, according to SoSoValue.

Rakuten's Market Position

As one of Japan's major tech firms, Rakuten boasts a market capitalization around ¥1.4 trillion ($9 billion) and annual revenues exceeding ¥2.5 trillion ($16 billion). The Rakuten ecosystem encompasses more than 70 different services, including the popular e-commerce platform Rakuten Ichiba, mobile telecommunications, and various banking and brokerage services, serving over 100 million users domestically and a staggering 2.1 billion users globally.

This latest move by Rakuten reflects its strategic decision to engage with the evolving cryptocurrency market, ensuring it remains at the forefront of financial innovation.