Bitcoin News

Story: Metaplanet Cuts 131 Million Shares, Launches $1M Hong Kong Unit to Soothe Shareholders

By Bruce Buterin

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Shareholder Pressure Forces the Retreat. The backstory is messy. Metaplanet originally expanded the pool from 46 million shares to 319.

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Hong Kong Unit and Project Nova. The other big announcement is Metaplanet Asset Management Asia Limited, a new subsidiary launching…

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Metaplanet just made two big moves in one week. The Tokyo-listed Bitcoin treasury company slashed its Series 10 stock pool by 41% and announced a new Hong Kong subsidiary with $1…

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The share pool reduction is the headline number. CEO Simon Gerovich said the company is cutting 131.3 million potential shares, dropping the Series 10 pool from 319.

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The backstory is messy. Metaplanet originally expanded the pool from 46 million shares to 319.5 million — a move that drew immediate backlash.

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Matthew Sigel, head of digital asset research at VanEck, called it a "meaningful concession" that brings management closer to shareholder interests.

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And it wasn't just the share count. Metaplanet is also scrapping its plan to allocate up to 90,000 rights to a long-term incentive vehicle for officers and employees.

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On August 31, Gerovich exercised rights to acquire 92,000 shares under the Series 10 pool. No explanation given for the timing.

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Related: ETHFI Soars 10.2% While Bitcoin Stays Steady Near $77K

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The Hong Kong move makes sense geographically. Asian trading hours are a gap in Metaplanet's current operational coverage, and having a local entity lets the company move faster…

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Project Nova isn't just about the Hong Kong unit. Metaplanet already agreed to acquire Siiibo Securities for 2.1 billion yen — that's $13.1 million — to build out a securities arm.

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Despite all the announcements, Metaplanet shares fell 3.8% on Friday. Over five days, the stock is down 15%. Markets aren't exactly celebrating.

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It's worth noting that Bitcoin treasury companies have faced a complicated few months across the board.

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See also: Bitcoin Soars 22% While Major Mining Firms Struggle to Keep Up

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The company is essentially running two parallel tracks: fixing its equity structure to keep existing shareholders from revolting, while simultaneously building out a financial…

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