Shin Joong-hyun, managing director and head of the future growth office at SBI Savings Bank, will speak as a panelist at a global conference hosted by blockchain company Ripple in New York next month. The move signals that SBI Savings Bank, long focused on the deposit-and-lending business of savings banks, is seriously exploring opportunities in digital assets.
Shin will take part in a digital asset session at Swell 2026, Ripple's annual conference, which runs from the 27th to the 29th of next month in New York, according to financial industry sources on the 1st. Swell is Ripple's flagship event, bringing together officials from global financial firms and digital asset companies to discuss how blockchain and digital assets can be used in finance. This year's conference is expected to draw about 1,500 participants, including chief executives from the financial and virtual asset industries, and some 100 speakers.
Shin will join a session on commercializing digital assets in the banking sector. Alongside officials from Barclays, the global investment bank, and Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's largest bank, he will discuss the security, scalability and regulatory compliance measures financial firms need to deploy digital assets in commercial settings.
The appearance is seen as tied to SBI Savings Bank's review of digital assets as a new business line. The bank is examining new business opportunities, including digital assets, centered on the future growth office led by Shin, who joined the bank after it was brought under Kyobo Life Insurance. The office is tasked with identifying medium- to long-term growth drivers beyond the existing savings bank business.
Because Kyobo Life Insurance and Japan's SBI Group both have experience working together in digital assets, what role SBI Savings Bank will play in related businesses is also drawing interest. "Kyobo Life Insurance is ahead in the digital asset field and Japan's SBI Holdings is also active in related businesses, so we see potential for collaboration," an SBI Savings Bank official said. "The future growth office is currently taking an interest in digital assets and benchmarking, and we are monitoring changes in laws and regulations at home and abroad."
