Coincheck Group, the Nasdaq-listed holding company behind one of Japan’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has agreed to acquire a 97% stake in Canadian digital asset manager 3iQ from its majority owner, Monex Group.
The stock-purchase transaction values 3iQ at $111.84 million, using Coincheck Group shares priced at $4 each. Coincheck Group said it intends to offer the same terms to 3iQ’s minority shareholders, which would give it full ownership if the deal is completed.
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.
Founded in 2012, 3iQ is a Canada-based digital asset manager that provides regulated cryptocurrency exposure through traditional investment products. The company was an early entrant in exchange-listed crypto funds and later expanded into staking-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and managed crypto strategies primarily for institutional investors.
Coincheck is a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange launched in 2014 that offers regulated retail trading and custody services. In December 2024, it became the first Japanese cryptocurrency exchange to list on the Nasdaq.
According to the announcement, the 3iQ deal follows Coincheck Group’s recent expansion through acquisitions, including its October purchase of Paris-based crypto prime broker Aplo SAS and its March acquisition of staking services provider Next Finance Tech Co., as the company builds out its institutional and international operations.
Related: Binance acquires regulated crypto exchange in Japan
US-based crypto exchanges make acquisitions
Recent acquisitions by Coincheck reflect a broader effort by crypto exchanges to diversify revenue beyond trading fees and expand into adjacent businesses.
In 2025, US-based exchange Coinbase made several acquisitions spanning infrastructure, consumer products and derivatives.
Early in the year, the exchange acquired Spindle, a blockchain-based advertising platform, and the team behind Roam, a Web3-focused browser. In July, Coinbase bought Liquifi, a platform used by early-stage token projects to manage compliance and token distribution.
Coinbase agreed in May to acquire Deribit for $2.9 billion, one of the largest deals in the sector, expanding its global derivatives business. To close the year, the company acquired The Clearing Company, adding onchain prediction markets to its product offerings.
Kraken also made several acquisitions in 2025, buying futures trading platform NinjaTrader in May to expand into traditional derivatives for US customers, followed by the August purchase of Capitalise.ai, a no-code trading automation startup.
In December, the company agreed to acquire Backed Finance AG, bringing tokenized equities issuance and settlement into its product suite.
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