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One out of every 600 people in Japan now holds shares in Metaplanet. That’s the kind of stat that makes you pause and reconsider what “mainstream adoption” actually looks like.
Metaplanet Inc. (TSE: 3350), Tokyo’s most aggressive corporate Bitcoin buyer, has surpassed 250,000 domestic shareholders, representing approximately 0.2% of Japan’s entire population. The number reflects a 66% increase in its shareholder base over just a few months.
From hotel company to Bitcoin treasury machine
Metaplanet’s transformation has been swift by any standard. The company pivoted to a Bitcoin-centric treasury strategy in 2024, and it has not looked back. It now holds 40,177 BTC, making it the third-largest corporate Bitcoin holder on the planet.
The company’s net asset value sits at 457.6 billion yen.
The financing playbook has been creative, to say the least. Metaplanet has used a combination of equity raises, zero-interest bonds, and warrants to fund its Bitcoin purchases.
CEO Simon Gerovich has publicly stated that the long-term shareholder target is over 1 million. That would mean roughly 1 in 125 Japanese people owning a piece of the company.
The Siiibo Securities acquisition changes the game
On June 12, 2026, Metaplanet announced it would acquire 100% of Siiibo Securities for 2.1 billion yen, roughly $13.1 million. The plan is to rebrand it as Metaplanet Securities.
Owning a securities firm gives Metaplanet a direct channel to offer Bitcoin-linked financial products to retail investors without needing additional exchange approvals. For a company whose shareholder base is overwhelmingly retail, this is a logical next step. The 250,000 shareholders aren’t hedge funds or institutional allocators. They’re everyday Japanese investors who have, in effect, chosen Metaplanet stock as their preferred vehicle for Bitcoin exposure.
Japan’s regulatory environment for crypto has historically been more structured than most countries, partly because the Mt. Gox collapse in 2014 happened on its soil. The ability to launch Bitcoin-related products through a regulated securities subsidiary, rather than navigating the crypto exchange licensing process separately, could prove to be a meaningful competitive advantage.
What this means for investors
The risk side of the ledger is straightforward. A company holding 40,177 BTC is, by definition, concentrated. If Bitcoin enters a prolonged downturn, Metaplanet’s net asset value compresses, and those 250,000 retail shareholders experience the full weight of that drawdown through their brokerage accounts.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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