With market expectations that the US government may adopt Bitcoin as a reserve asset, driving a wave of institutional investment, the Japanese listed company Metaplanet, known as the 'Japanese version of MicroStrategy,' also aims to capitalize on this trend, announcing that it will increase its Bitcoin holdings to 10,000 this year, a 470% increase from the current amount.

Metaplanet began adopting a 'Bitcoin strategy' in April last year. CEO Simon Gerovich stated that the company will 'fully utilize the most value-creating capital tools available in the market' to significantly increase its Bitcoin holdings. He wrote in a post:

Last year was a critical turning point for us, as we not only broke multiple records but also successfully expanded our Bitcoin reserves, solidifying Metaplanet's position as a leading Bitcoin asset management company in Asia. This year, we will work tirelessly to create greater value for our shareholders.

As of December 23, Metaplanet held a total of 1,761.98 Bitcoins, valued at approximately 27.2 billion yen (approximately 173.6 million USD). Throughout the last year, Metaplanet completed 19 Bitcoin purchases, with an average purchase price of 11,846,002 yen (approximately 75,000 USD).

Meanwhile, Metaplanet's 'Bitcoin Yield' (the ratio of Bitcoin holdings to issued shares) surged dramatically in the fourth quarter of 2024, jumping from 42% to 310%, indicating that the company's accumulation of Bitcoin far exceeds new share issuances.

To further enhance purchasing power, Metaplanet conducted a series of capital market operations in 2024, including:

  • June 28: Stock consolidation of 10 to 1, raising the trading price per share to over 50,000 yen, meeting the minimum trading unit requirements of the Tokyo Stock Exchange;

  • August 6: Initiated a share allotment plan, increasing the number of shares from 18.17 million to 36.27 million, successfully raising 10 billion yen (approximately 637 million USD) from 13,774 shareholders;

  • November: Established a new stock subscription plan to pave the way for future funding needs;

  • December: Raised 9.5 billion yen (approximately 603 million USD) through two bond issuances.