LATEST: Japan’s Metaplanet Secures $745 Million in Funding to Invest in Bitcoin

Metaplanet, a trailblazing Japanese hotel investor, has successfully executed the largest capital raise in Asian equity market history, specifically to expand its bitcoin portfolio. The firm issued 21 million shares using 0% discount moving strike warrants, amassing approximately 116 billion yen ($745 million). This innovative financial maneuver is designed to enable holders to acquire shares at a market-equivalent exercise price, thereby protecting existing shareholders from dilution.

This strategic financial infusion reinforces Metaplanet’s dedicated “Bitcoin-first, Bitcoin-only” policy. The initiative is a response to the ongoing devaluation of the yen and the surge to an all-time high in Bitcoin value. By increasing its bitcoin reserves, Metaplanet is positioning itself at the forefront of digital asset investment, reflecting a strong belief in Bitcoin’s enduring value.

As a testament to the positive market reception, Metaplanet’s stock saw a 3% rise on the announcement day, with an overall increase of 16% this year. Currently holding 1,762 BTC, Metaplanet ranks as the fifteenth largest bitcoin holder among public companies, signaling robust confidence in the future of cryptocurrencies.

MicroStrategy Expands Bitcoin Holdings to 471,100 BTC Worth $46 Billion

MicroStrategy has once again solidified its position as the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, announcing the acquisition of an additional 10,100 BTC for $1.1 billion. The latest purchase, made at an average price of $105,596 per Bitcoin, occurred just before a market correction saw Bitcoin’s price dip 6% below $100,000.

MicroStrategy has acquired 10,107 BTC for ~$1.1 billion at ~$105,596 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 2.90% YTD 2025. As of 1/26/2025, we hodl 471,107 $BTC acquired for ~$30.4 billion at ~$64,511 per bitcoin. $MSTR https://t.co/UM5dGUS9Ma

— Michael Saylor⚡️ (@saylor) January 27, 2025

This purchase comes on the heels of the firm’s acquisition of 11,000…

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Jupiter takes majority stake in Trump-favored memecoin app

This is a segment from the Lightspeed newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

A feline-branded conference held in Istanbul this weekend gave away some of the future ambitions of Solana’s top swap app, Jupiter. 

At so-called Catstanbul, Jupiter and its colorful founder known as meow made headlines for turning on protocol fees that will lead to token buybacks. It’s also launching a $10 million AI fund alongside AI agent upstart Eliza Labs as well as a multi-blockchain network that would expand beyond Solana. 

But the most interesting announcement — to me at least — came when Jupiter said it had taken a majority stake in Moonshot, a memecoin app that Donald…

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LATEST: Standard Chartered Expert Advises “Buy the Dip” Amid Market Turbulence

Standard Chartered’s digital assets expert Geoffrey Kendrick has voiced a strong buy recommendation for Bitcoin as the cryptocurrency market mirrors Nasdaq’s recent volatility. Kendrick highlights the pronounced correlation between Bitcoin and tech-heavy Nasdaq which saw a notable drop influenced by external AI developments causing a ripple effect across tech stocks and cryptocurrencies alike.

The downward trend in Nasdaq was sparked by news from DeepSeek a Chinese AI firm that introduced a new cost-effective AI model challenging established players and impacting U.S. tech stock valuations. This turmoil has trickled into the crypto sphere with significant liquidations overnight but Kendrick remains optimistic about Bitcoin’s resilience and potential rebound.

Amidst the market’s fluctuations and recent crypto directives from the Trump administration Kendrick encourages investors to capitalize on the current dip. Pointing to the “buy the dip” phase as a strategic move he predicts substantial institutional investments driving up Bitcoin prices significantly by year’s end.

Why the TRUMP launch wasn’t a ‘mass onboarding event’

This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

The truth is in the data. That’s kind of our motto if you ask me. And the data around the Trump coin is very telling.

Last week, Chainalysis released some data on the Trump coin launch, breaking down who owns it and where they’ve come from. The most obvious datapoint is that the majority of holders have less than $100 worth, suggesting that it’s heavily owned by retail. 

Source: Chainalysis

According to Chainalysis, a survey of the wallet age shows that a lot of these retail buyers are new to crypto. In the chart below, you can see that the majority have just opened the wallets,…

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Nasdaq Proposes In-Kind Redemptions for BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF

Nasdaq has submitted a groundbreaking proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that could transform the operational framework of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The proposal, focused on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), seeks to introduce “in-kind” bitcoin redemptions, offering a streamlined and cost-effective alternative to the current cash redemption process.

JUST IN: BlackRock files to allow in-kind creations and redemptions for its spot Bitcoin ETF! pic.twitter.com/SSigX4utRG

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 24, 2025

What Are In-Kind Redemptions?

Under the proposed system, institutional players known as authorized participants…

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