
Metaplanet, a Japanese company often compared to MicroStrategy, has announced its ambitious plan to purchase 21,000 Bitcoins by 2026. This move comes as the company raises over 116 billion yen, equivalent to $745 million, through the issuance of 21 million shares via moving strike warrants. This unprecedented capital raise is reportedly the largest in Asian equity markets aimed explicitly at acquiring Bitcoin.
The company’s Bitcoin strategy appears to be influenced heavily by MicroStrategy’s approach, as Metaplanet has already accumulated 1,761 Bitcoins since following this path in April 2024. It aims to increase its holdings to 10,000 Bitcoins by the end of 2025.
Globally, Metaplanet is currently the 15th-largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder, and with the acquisition of 21,000 Bitcoins, it is poised to become the third-largest holder, surpassing Riot Platforms. Meanwhile, MicroStrategy remains the top corporate Bitcoin holder, boasting 471,107 Bitcoins valued at $49.6 billion.
In South Korea, the cryptocurrency landscape has experienced a dramatic shift following Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the recent U.S. presidential election. The country’s five licensed cryptocurrency exchanges have reported a 4.5-fold increase in new account applications during November and December, compared to the previous months of the year. This surge amounted to 2.07 million new trading accounts in 2024, with a significant portion opened in the last two months.
Meanwhile, in China, the AI application DeepSeek has rapidly gained popularity across various Apple App Store regions, challenging industry norms regarding AI model requirements. This success sent shockwaves through Wall Street, impacting companies like Nvidia and contributing to Bitcoin’s dip below $100,000. However, the rise of DeepSeek also invited scams, with at least 75 fake DeepSeek-themed tokens emerging in the market, despite the company asserting it has not issued any cryptocurrency.
Despite the initial shock to the market, Bitcoin has regained composure, spiking above $100,000 during the Lunar New Year, driven by trading activity predominantly from the East. As part of the celebrations, exchanges with strong Asian ties have engaged in distributing “crypto red packets,” reflecting traditional festive customs with a modern twist.
Additionally, Hong Kong has issued its first batch of cryptocurrency service provider licenses for 2025, adding YAX and PantherTrade to its list of approved trading platforms. With these new approvals, the number of licensed crypto trading platforms in Hong Kong now stands at nine, although concerns over crypto scams remain on the rise.
This dynamic environment underscores the evolving nature of cryptocurrency and AI technologies in Asia, indicating both growth opportunities and regulatory challenges in the market.