Metaplanet will establish Bitcoin treasury operations as an official trading line

Japanese-listed company Metaplanet announced on December 18 that it will run Bitcoin Treasury Operations as a new business line.

The move, approved by the firm's board of directors, is part of its broader strategy to integrate bitcoin into its financial framework.

Details of the new venture

The announcement, shared in a post on X, follows a series of stock approvals and strategic moves aimed at positioning the company as a leader in Bitcoin adoption and governance. In it, Metaplanet stated that its new line of business will focus on buying, holding and managing crypto assets through various financial instruments, including loans, equity issuances and convertible bonds.

The document also reveals that Bitcoin purchases and holdings will be conducted with BTC Yield as the primary performance measure.

Metaplanet will continue to generate revenue from Bitcoin's premium option sales, which leverages the asset's volatility to drive revenue. In addition, the exclusive license to Bitcoin Magazine Japan will be used to generate new revenue streams through BTC-related marketing activities and educational initiatives.

By combining these efforts, the investment firm seeks to strengthen its role as Japan's leading bitcoin treasury company and a pioneer in the country's crypto ecosystem. The new business model complements the current hotel business and both sectors will serve as the main pillars of the company's growth strategy, he emphasized.

Financial achievements

The Tokyo-based company is on track to post its first consolidated operating profit in seven years, months after adding BTC to its balance sheet. In a separate statement on Dec. 18, it forecast revenue of 890 million yen ($5.8 million) for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, a significant jump from last year's 261 million yen.

A major portion of this revenue, ¥520 million ($3.4 million), came from selling bitcoin put options. Additionally, the investment firm reported an undisclosed profit of approximately 7.446 billion ($48.6 million) on its BTC holdings.

Since becoming the number one cryptocurrency as a treasury in April 2024, Metaplanet has made several capital raising efforts to support its acquisition strategy to hedge against the weakening yen.

These include raising $66 million in its 11th stock-purchase rights exercise in October, $11.3 million in bond issuance in early November, and $62 million in its 12th stock-purchase rights later that month.

Most recently, on December 16, it issued a fourth bond of about ¥4.5 billion ($30 million) and announced plans for an additional ¥5 billion in private placement bonds. As of today, Metaplanet holds 1,018 BTC, worth approximately $118 million, according to BitcoinTreasures.