tl;dr
**Coincheck’s Big Move: Expanding into Europe with a Prime Brokerage Powerhouse**
Japan’s Coincheck, the cryptocurrency exchange that made waves by listing on the Nasdaq last year, is making another splash—this time by acquiring Aplo, a French digital asset prime brokerage firm. The deal, set to ...
**Coincheck’s Big Move: Expanding into Europe with a Prime Brokerage Powerhouse**
Japan’s Coincheck, the cryptocurrency exchange that made waves by listing on the Nasdaq last year, is making another splash—this time by acquiring Aplo, a French digital asset prime brokerage firm. The deal, set to close in October 2025, marks a bold step for Coincheck to stake its claim in Europe’s fast-growing crypto market.
For those unfamiliar, Coincheck has been a household name in Japan since its 2014 founding, originally rebranded from a Bitcoin wallet company called ResuPress. After a high-profile hack in 2018 that wiped out $350 million in user funds, the exchange rebuilt its reputation and, last year, went public via a SPAC merger with Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV on the Nasdaq. Now, it’s eyeing Europe.
Aplo, the target of the acquisition, is no stranger to the regulatory and institutional demands of the European market. Regulated by France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) as a Digital Asset Service Provider, Aplo is also in the process of securing a full crypto asset service provider license under the EU’s groundbreaking Market in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA). This regulatory alignment is a major win for Coincheck, which aims to tap into Europe’s institutional-grade crypto infrastructure.
“Aplo brings us proven technology, expertise recognized by institutional clients in Europe, and a high-performance team with an entrepreneurial culture,” said Gary Simanson, CEO of Coincheck Group. The acquisition isn’t just about expanding reach—it’s about borrowing Aplo’s playbook. The French firm’s experience in catering to institutional investors, such as hedge funds and asset managers, could help Coincheck navigate Europe’s complex compliance landscape and attract a new wave of clients.
The deal involves exchanging all of Aplo’s shares for newly issued Coincheck Group shares, a move that underscores the strategic value Coincheck sees in Aplo’s operations. With Europe’s crypto market projected to grow at a 25% annual rate through 2027, the timing feels right.
But what does this mean for the broader crypto industry? Coincheck’s move could signal a shift: as global exchanges seek to diversify beyond their home markets, partnerships with European firms—especially those with MiCA-ready infrastructure—may become the norm.
As the dust settles on this acquisition, one thing is clear: Coincheck isn’t just expanding into Europe. It’s positioning itself as a serious player in a market where regulation and institutional trust are the new currency.
So, what do you think? Is this the start of a crypto gold rush in Europe, or just another step in the long game of global exchange consolidation?