Coincheck Group N.V. has agreed to acquire Aplo, a France-based prime brokerage for digital assets registered with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). Under the deal, all issued and outstanding shares of Aplo will be exchanged for newly issued ordinary shares of Coincheck Group; the transaction is expected to close in October 2025. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded in Tokyo in 2014 and listed on Nasdaq via a SPAC merger late last year, Coincheck said the acquisition is a strategic step to accelerate its expansion into European markets. Aplo is known for institutional-grade trading technology and custody capabilities, and it is currently registered in France as a Digital Asset Service Provider while pursuing a full crypto-asset service provider license under the EU’s MiCA framework.
“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.
Why this matters: the acquisition gives Coincheck an on-the-ground foothold in the EU and faster access to European institutional clients through a partner already operating under local regulation. It also reflects a broader trend of exchanges combining trading platforms with regulated prime-broker and custody services to win institutional business.
Risks and next steps: regulatory approvals, the pending MiCA licensing process and post-merger integration could affect timing and service availability. With no purchase price disclosed, customers and investors should monitor future filings and announcements as the companies move toward the expected October 2025 close.
Source: CoinDesk. Read the original coverage for full details.