Japanese online broker Monex Group Inc said on Tuesday it is considering buying Coincheck Inc, the local cryptocurrency exchange hit by a high-profile $530 million theft earlier this year.
The deal could be worth “several billion yen” and an announcement is likely to happen this week.
The deal would allow Monex to access Coincheck’s customer base, which saw a spurt in users as the cryptocurrency sector grew rapidly last year.
Coincheck, which in January suffered one of the biggest digital money heists ever, was asked by the Financial Services Agency to improve risk management and prevent further criminal use of digital money.
Coincheck had been applying for a license from regulators when the theft took place in late January. The FSA has held the view that Coincheck alone would not be able to continue its operations. The regulator is expected to examine how a partnership with Monex would improve Coincheck's practices.
Monex said in a statement that it is considering a takeover of Coincheck, but nothing had been decided.