Japanese listed firm adds Bitcoin as reserve asset with 117 BTC

As a seasoned crypto investor with a keen interest in global financial markets, I’ve been closely monitoring the recent developments at Metaplanet, a publicly-traded investment firm based in Tokyo. Having lived through the economic turmoil of the late 1990s and early 2000s in Japan, I can empathize with the company’s decision to shift its treasury management strategy towards Bitcoin in response to the continued decline of the Japanese yen.


Metaplanet Investment Firm, which is publicly listed, has decided to include Bitcoin (BTC) as part of its reserve assets due to the persistent weakening of the Japanese yen.

Metaplanet has revealed new plans for its treasure management strategy, focusing primarily on Bitcoin as their preferred choice, according to an announcement made on May 13 in Tokyo.

As a crypto investor, I can understand how Japan’s economic situation is affecting the market. The country has been grappling with significant economic pressures for some time now. Their high government debt levels and prolonged periods of negative real interest rates have taken a toll on their currency, making the yen weak. In response to these challenges, companies are making strategic moves.

Metaplanet’s declaration is silent on the exact amount of Bitcoin it currently holds or intends to hold in its reserves. On May 10, Metaplanet revealed that they had acquired a total of 117.7 Bitcoins, which equated to approximately $7.19 million at an average price of around 10.2 million yen or $65,000 each. Metaplanet’s market value is currently estimated to be around 3.5 billion yen, or roughly $20 million.

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed that Metaplanet has recently revealed their new Bitcoin-centric approach, which they unveiled just a few weeks ago following their initial announcement in early April. This disclosure came with the exciting news that they had completed their first Bitcoin purchase for a significant amount of $6.5 million.

As a researcher, I’ve noticed an intriguing development in the financial world: Metaplanet’s stock experienced remarkable growth following their announcement of purchasing Bitcoin in April. On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where Metaplanet is publicly traded under the symbol 3350, this news sparked considerable buzz on social media. The price of Metaplanet shares surged above 35 JPY ($0.22) within hours, a substantial increase from their previous price of 20 JPY ($0.13).

As a researcher looking into Metaplanet’s history, I discovered that before its pivot to Bitcoin, this company had a different focus. Metaplanet was established in 1999 and initially ran a hotel business, offered investment services, and provided investor relations consulting.

A few days ago, the announcement was made that Metaplanet had hired renowned market researcher Dylan LeClair to head their Bitcoin strategy.

“Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich expressed in a recent blog post on May 9 that this purchase marks only the start for the company as they continue to invest in Bitcoin.”

In the year 2024, it is said that the Japanese yen has underperformed among major currencies versus the US dollar, reaching record lows against the greenback in April, last seen during the 1990s. According to local reports, the primary reasons for the yen’s value decrease over the past three years include the significant disparity between domestic and foreign interest rates and an expanding trade deficit.

Read More

2024-05-13 14:37