From MicroStrategy to Metaplanet, Bitcoin is increasingly being incorporated into the balance sheets of more companies. On May 20, the stock price of Japan's listed company Metaplanet surged past 780 yen, with a single-day increase of 14.6%, and it has doubled in the past month. The company's CEO, Simon Gerovich, revealed that Metaplanet has become one of the most shorted stocks in the Japanese market. Similar to the U.S. company MicroStrategy, Metaplanet has driven financial success by integrating Bitcoin into its corporate balance sheet, while also becoming a focal point for short sellers. Metaplanet has established Bitcoin as a core treasury asset, using its scarcity and censorship resistance to hedge against the risks posed by the depreciation of the yen and ultra-low interest rates. Starting in 2024, Metaplanet will continue to purchase Bitcoin through stock issuance and bond financing, becoming Japan's first publicly listed company to hold Bitcoin on a large scale. The first quarter of 2025 financial report shows that the company's revenue reached $6.139 million, an 8% increase quarter-over-quarter, and a staggering 943% increase year-over-year; net profit was $4.151 million, an 11% quarter-over-quarter increase, with 88% of the profit coming from Bitcoin options trading. As of now, Metaplanet holds 6,796 Bitcoins, ranking 10th among global publicly listed companies and first in Asia, with plans to increase its reserves to 10,000 by the end of the year. Global companies are embracing Bitcoin, such as Strive acquiring Mt. Gox claims to hold Bitcoin at a low cost, AsiaStrategy transforming from traditional manufacturing to fintech and continuously purchasing Bitcoin, Brazilian retail company Meliuz planning to incorporate Bitcoin investment into its corporate mission, and U.S. GameStop also allowing Bitcoin to be included in its treasury asset portfolio for the first time. Metaplanet's success represents the exploration of new asset allocation by global companies in uncertain times, with Bitcoin becoming an indispensable part of corporate asset management, driving the launch of a global asset restructuring experiment.
