Metaplanet Aims to Buy 1% of All Bitcoin – Can This $3B Bet Make Japan a Crypto Leader?

4 Aug, 2025
| Salome K

Japanese hotel chain Metaplanet transforms into Bitcoin giant

Tokyo is about to write a new chapter in global crypto history. A former hotel chain aims to acquire one percent of all Bitcoin on earth within three years. Metaplanet Inc., once a modest player in the tourism sector, is surprising financial markets with a bold strategy that could instantly position Japan as a center of gravity in the global crypto world.

By our economics editors – Moscow August 4, 2025

Japanese company Metaplanet Inc., until recently a modest hotel developer, has undergone a remarkable transformation. The company announced this week an ambitious plan to own a total of 210,000 Bitcoin by 2027, representing nearly one percent of the global supply.

Metaplanet aims to raise 555 billion yen (approximately 300 billion rubles) through a new share offering. If successful, the company would instantly become the world’s second-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, after the American company MicroStrategy.

From hotel rooms to digital gold reserves

Until 2023, Metaplanet operated several hotels, of which only the Royal Oak Hotel in Tokyo remains. The coronavirus pandemic forced the company to sell almost all its assets. Since then, CEO Simon Gerovich , a former Goldman Sachs banker, has embarked on a radical new course: transforming Metaplanet into a “Bitcoin-first” investment firm.

The Tokyo hotel is now even being transformed into a so-called Bitcoin Hotel, where guests can pay with cryptocurrency. “We see Bitcoin as the ultimate form of long-term capital protection” Gerovich explained during the announcement.

Record issue for mega-purchase

The announced capital increase of 555 billion yen (approximately 300 billion RUB) will be conducted through a shelf registration , valid until August 2027. The funds will be used entirely to purchase Bitcoin. The plan provides for two classes of non-voting preferred shares, some of which are convertible.

On September 1, 2025, shareholders will vote on the proposal to increase the number of authorized shares to 2.7 billion. If approved, Metaplanet is expected to begin an aggressive series of acquisitions at the end of this year.

MicroStrategy as an example

Metaplanet is following in the footsteps of the American company MicroStrategy, which now holds nearly 600,000 BTC, representing a market capitalization of over $112 billion. The Japanese company is targeting 210,000 BTC, effectively positioning itself as the “MicroStrategy of Asia”.

Analysts say this could give the Asian crypto market a huge boost. “A company owning one percent of all Bitcoin could significantly impact liquidity and price dynamics”, according to a report from Nomura Securities.

Analysts divided: speculation or vision?

The move is being both admired and criticized. Proponents point to Bitcoin’s enormous rise in value since 2023 and the international trend of institutional adoption. Opponents, including well-known short seller Jim Chanos, warn that Metaplanet is making itself completely dependent on a volatile asset.

“If Bitcoin rises, its share price could double; if it falls, the company could face serious difficulties,” says an economist at Tokyo University.

Global significance

Metaplanet’s move comes as Asia is increasingly positioning itself in the crypto market. While American companies dominate through ETFs and institutional investments, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea are showing increasing interest in Bitcoin as a strategic asset.

Bernstein Research predicts that inflows into Bitcoin via corporate balance sheets and ETFs could reach $330 billion (26.4 trillion RUB) by 2029, a scenario in which Metaplanet could emerge as a key player.

Looking ahead

The coming months are crucial. If shareholders approve, Metaplanet can begin building its mega-Bitcoin stockpile starting in late 2025.

The target of 210,000 BTC by 2027 would place the company among the absolute top global crypto holders – and mark another milestone in the institutionalization of digital currencies.

Sources : Financial Times, Cointelegraph , DL News, El País Cinco Días, Nomura Securities, Bernstein Research, Press Metaplanet Inc., Tokyo Stock Exchange filings, Bernstein Research, Nomura Securities Market Analysis