Bitcoin Stash Grows: Metaplanet Now Holds 20,136 BTC After $15M Buy

Metaplanet Inc. moved again into the Bitcoin zone as part of its treasury plan, buying 136 Bitcoin for about $15.2 million at an average price of $111,783 per coin.

According to the company, that brings its total holdings to 20,136 coins. The purchase keeps Metaplanet among the larger corporate holders of the crypto.

Metaplanet Expands Bitcoin Stack

The company reported the fresh buy on Monday. Based on reports, Metaplanet now sits as the sixth-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.

At the time of the purchase, Bitcoin traded around $111,580, putting the new units close to current market levels. The move underscores how some firms are turning parts of their balance sheets into crypto exposure rather than sticking only to their core businesses.

Market Reaction Was Cool

Shares of Metaplanet did not climb after the disclosure. They fell 2.3% in Tokyo trade on Monday and were trading near a four-month low, extending nearly a 20% rout from the prior week.

Reports show the stock slide has tracked a drop in Bitcoin’s price after profit-taking followed August’s record highs. Investors appear skittish when a company’s share price is tied tightly to a volatile asset.

Part of the pushback comes from alternatives. Exchange-traded funds now give retail and institutional investors direct bitcoin exposure without owning a company whose core business may not reflect the crypto bet.

Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, remains the biggest corporate holder with 636,505 coins. Strategy logged nearly a 15% loss in August as Bitcoin pulled back, showing how a firm’s valuation can swing with crypto prices.

Questions have been raised about whether holding Bitcoin on a company balance sheet still offers the same appeal it once did.

Metaplanet’s market value — around $5 billion, based on recent trading — has drawn scrutiny because it exceeds the current market value of the bitcoin on its books.

Critics warn that tying a company’s shares to Bitcoin can make the stock more vulnerable to crypto’s swings. New players, including Metaplanet and Gamestop, tried to copy the strategy and have met mixed results so far.

Analysts also point to crowding: many companies chasing the same story could blunt future upside for treasury-play stocks if fresh buyers stop showing up.

Strategy achieved big gains after late-2023 purchases, funded in part through large share and debt issuances. That path may be harder to repeat now that more investment routes exist.

For now, Metaplanet keeps adding to its bitcoin pile while its shares remain under pressure. Reports suggest the next moves by both Bitcoin and markets will decide whether that bet looks smart or risky in hindsight.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView