Metaplanet (3350) announced a major boost to its crypto-focused strategy after securing a new $130 million loan from its bitcoin-backed credit facility. The funds will support additional bitcoin purchases, the expansion of its bitcoin-based income generation business, and potential share buybacks. This latest borrowing lifts the company’s use of its $500 million facility to $230 million. The agreement, executed on Nov. 21, keeps the lender confidential at the counterparty’s request. Interest is tied to a U.S. dollar benchmark rate plus a spread, and the loan renews daily with repayment flexibility.
Metaplanet emphasized that the loan is fully secured by its significant bitcoin holdings. As of Oct. 31, the Tokyo-based firm held 30,823 BTC, valued at about $3.5 billion, giving it substantial collateral room even in volatile markets. Executives stressed their policy of borrowing only within conservative collateral limits to maintain financial safety.
The company continues to build out its bitcoin income strategy, including using BTC as collateral to sell options for premium revenue. This move follows Metaplanet’s recent perpetual preferred offerings, adding another long-term funding tool to strengthen its pro-bitcoin approach.

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Key Takeaways

MSCI may drop Strategy from major indexes, potentially triggering large forced sell-offs.

Bitcoin advocates accuse big banks of undermining BTC while building their own systems.

Saylor defends Strategy’s broader business model as the boycott movement against JPMorgan grows.

A major dispute has grown between the Bitcoin community and traditional banking after JPMorgan warned that Strategy could be removed from major stock indexes.

This warning upset many Bitcoin supporters, who see it as another attempt by big financial institutions to limit the growth of the scarce digital asset.

In a recent research, JPMorgan said that MSCI, a company that…

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VeChain has announced a major partnership with Rekord to accelerate blockchain adoption across Europe’s supply chains. The collaboration merges VeChain’s energy-efficient blockchain with Rekord’s API-driven trust layer, allowing enterprises to secure product data, documents, and event logs on-chain without changing existing systems. The move aims to strengthen transparency, compliance, and sustainability as regulatory pressure grows.

The joint solution enables manufacturers to anchor product and process data directly on VeChainThor, creating tamper-proof, audit-ready records. Rekord’s trust layer validates information at the source while VeChain ensures permanent, verifiable storage. With Europe preparing for Digital Product Passports in 2026, the partnership gives companies an immediate pathway to meet ESPR requirements and integrate sustainability reporting seamlessly.

Businesses can link devices and workflows to blockchain with minimal disruption, supporting the shift toward tokenizing real-world assets. VeChain’s proven infrastructure and Rekord’s regulatory-ready tools position the network as a leading enterprise solution, reinforcing crypto’s growing role in real-world asset management and future compliance.

KuCoin has officially registered with Australia’s financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC, clearing the way for the global crypto exchange to operate legally under local oversight. The move comes at a crucial moment as regulators intensify scrutiny of offshore trading platforms and push more digital assets under existing financial laws.

Regulators, including ASIC, have recently warned that many tokens, stablecoins and tokenized products may fall under the Corporations Act, meaning platforms could require proper licensing. KuCoin’s registration positions the exchange to meet these rising standards while strengthening its presence in one of the region’s fastest-growing crypto markets.

To enhance its services, KuCoin is partnering with ASIC-licensed Echuca Trading to bring regulated crypto futures to Australian users. The exchange has also launched new fiat on-ramp support, allowing easier deposits of local currency for buying and trading crypto. KuCoin says it plans to pursue additional approvals as it expands its regulated offerings across Australia.

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Major momentum is building in the crypto world as VanEck prepares to debut its groundbreaking spot BNB ETF, trading under the ticker VBNB. The new fund will directly hold BNB tokens, giving investors a simple, transparent way to gain exposure to one of the market’s top digital assets—without managing wallets or private keys.

Set to reshape crypto investing, VBNB tracks the real-time performance of BNB through the MarketVector BNB Index, offering a regulated and familiar investment vehicle for both retail and institutional investors. The launch highlights the rapidly growing demand for digital-asset ETFs, signaling a major step forward as traditional finance continues merging with the crypto sector.

Analysts say the VBNB ETF could spark a new wave of mainstream adoption, giving investors a powerful diversification tool as interest in digital currencies accelerates. With VanEck’s reputation and the rising influence of BNB, this move marks a significant milestone for the broader crypto market.

SEC Filing

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is preparing new rules that would require domestic crypto exchanges to hold liability reserves, according to Nikkei Asia. The proposal aims to strengthen user protection by ensuring exchanges can compensate customers if losses occur from hacks or system breaches. Japan already mandates that customer assets be stored in cold wallets, but current law does not require dedicated reserves. The FSA expects to submit the bill to parliament next year.

Recent industry shocks continue to motivate tighter safeguards. In 2024, local platform DMM Bitcoin suffered a major breach worth roughly $312 million, traced to a trading management partner. Regulators are also pushing a registration system for third-party custodians and service providers, expected to be submitted during the 2026 Diet session.

Japan is simultaneously advancing crypto-friendly reforms. The FSA is considering reclassifying digital assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and lowering capital-gains tax on crypto to a flat 20%. Major banks are exploring yen-backed stablecoins, and leading asset managers, including MUFG and Daiwa, are preparing the country’s first crypto investment trusts.

Nikkei

TD Cowen analysts say Strategy’s stock could face continued pressure due to an impending MSCI review. 

The firm expects that PBTCs like Strategy will be removed from all MSCI indexes this February. A formal decision is expected around mid-January.

Cowen called the potential removal “capricious” but emphasized that investors should prepare for sustained selling pressure. The analysts note that Strategy is not a fund, trust, or holding company. Instead, it is a public operating company. Its $500 million software business generates all of its revenue. 

Meanwhile, its Bitcoin treasury operations are innovative and active, offering unique Bitcoin-backed…

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