Bakkt Holdings Inc. said it has acquired a 30% stake in Osaka-based Marusho Hotta Co., marking the U.S. digital-asset platform’s first direct entry into the Japanese market. The partners will rebrand the Japanese business under the bitcoin.jp domain and roll out Bakkt’s suite of cryptocurrency trading and loyalty-rewards services. As part of the agreement, the newly formed entity plans to hold Bitcoin on its balance sheet, extending Bakkt’s strategy of adding the token to corporate treasuries. Bakkt, launched by Intercontinental Exchange in 2018 and now listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is seeking growth overseas as crypto adoption accelerates in Asia. Financial terms beyond the 30% equity purchase were not disclosed.