Metaplanet, the Japanese company with a special bitcoin plan, is going to be added to the MSCI Japan Index on February 28, 2025. This comes as the company continues to stockpile bitcoin with a fresh $26 million (4 billion yen) raised via zero-interest, unsecured bonds.
The MSCI Japan Index is a mid-to-large-cap index of Japanese stocks maintained by Morgan Stanley, the financial giant. Being added to this index is a huge deal, and will give Metaplanet more visibility and access to investment funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track MSCI indices.
The firm’s CEO, Simon Gerovich celebrated this event, saying:
“Our inclusion reflects the significant progress we have made in expanding our market presence and executing our Bitcoin strategy. This milestone further solidifies Metaplanet’s position as Asia’s leading Bitcoin Treasury Company and expands our reach in global markets.”
The Japanese company will now be in the same basket as other major Japanese companies like Toyota, Mitsubishi, Sony, and Hitachi. This should increase investor confidence and drive up the stock.
In addition to joining the MSCI Japan Index, Metaplanet has raised $26 million through zero-interest, unsecured and unguaranteed bonds from EVO FUND. The funds will be used to buy more bitcoin, further cementing the company’s foothold as a major institutional bitcoin holder.
Metaplanet has been rapidly accumulating bitcoin as a long-term hedge against Japan’s economic problems, high national debt, negative interest rates and a weakening yen.
The country has had low interest rates for years, alongside rising government debt and a falling yen. By holding bitcoin, the company believes it can protect its assets from inflation and currency devaluation.
Related: Bitcoin’s Potential Surge Amidst Japanese Yen Crisis | A Boon for Investors?
As of January 28, 2025, the company held 1,761.98 BTC, valued at approximately $181 million (27.9 billion yen). It also aims to buy at least 10,000 BTC by end of 2025 and 21,000 BTC by 2026.
A new investment plan shows Metaplanet has allocated 111.3 billion yen ($700 million) for bitcoin purchasing until February 2027 and 5 billion yen for bitcoin income-generating activities until December 2025.
“The company has strategically shifted its financial management approach to adopt Bitcoin as its primary reserve asset,” the company said in the latest filing.
Since adopting the bitcoin strategy in April 2024, Metaplanet’s stock has gone up 2,400%+. The stock listed under 3350 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange has hit an all-time high of 7,020 yen recently and is getting attention from all over the world.
The reaction to Metaplanet’s bitcoin accumulation is similar to US company MicroStrategy (now rebranded as Strategy) which is known for its aggressive bitcoin buying.
