Japanese gaming firm Gumi bets $17 mln on XRP, skips Ethereum: Here’s why

Key Takeaways

Japan’s Gumi approved a $17 million XRP buy as part of its BTC–XRP twin strategy, aligning with SBI’s Ripple push, while Japan’s FSA reforms target ETF approvals and stronger investor protections.

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While much of the spotlight in recent weeks was on institutional investors pivoting toward Ethereum [ETH], Japan quietly made its own moves in the crypto market.

Major domestic firms are adding digital assets to their balance sheets, with gaming and blockchain company Gumi Inc. taking the lead.

Gumi bets on XRP

On the 29th of August, the Tokyo-listed firm announced board approval for a ¥2.5 billion ($17 million) investment in Ripple [XRP]. It showed that Japanese corporates remain keen on both Bitcoin [BTC] and altcoins despite shifting global investor sentiment. 

The investment was scheduled for September 2025 through February 2026.

According to a report by CoinPost, the company clarified that this move goes beyond speculative motives and reflects a deliberate strategy to secure a foothold in the XRP ecosystem. 

Why XRP and not Ethereum?

The firm emphasized that while Ethereum dominated global headlines as institutions and individual investors piled in, its own decision to prioritize XRP stemmed from alignment with its largest shareholder, SBI Holdings.

SBI has been a long-time backer of Ripple, the issuer of XRP, and is actively promoting the token’s use in cross-border payments and liquidity solutions.

By adopting XRP, Gumi aims to leverage this strategic synergy and position itself in an ecosystem where utility and adoption in financial services are rapidly growing.

Gumi’s management explained that the initiative represents a medium- to long-term growth vision, with XRP acting as a core asset in the company’s evolving digital finance strategy.

Bitcoin continues to play a key role

The move also complements Gumi’s enthusiasm for Bitcoin (BTC), which the firm considers another key pillar of its portfolio.

While XRP anchors its ambitions in remittances and liquidity, BTC is viewed as a robust digital asset that Gumi intends to manage more actively through staking protocols.

In June, Gumi announced its intention to establish a multi-billion yen cryptocurrency management fund in collaboration with SBI Holdings.

SBI, meanwhile, is pursuing regulatory approval to roll out a crypto ETF in Japan, which could include Bitcoin, XRP, and potentially other tokens.

Market moves and regulatory backdrop

The announcement comes as XRP traded at $2.73, down 3.88% in the past 24 hours, while Bitcoin slid 0.59% to $108,074.63.

Interestingly, Gumi Inc.’s stock rose 6.14% to 640 JPY, even as SBI Holdings fell 4.04% to 6,716 JPY, reflecting mixed market sentiment.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is preparing a comprehensive reform package combining tax revisions with regulatory upgrades, potentially paving the way for crypto-linked ETFs.