Metaplanet, a Japanese Bitcoin treasury company, has purchased an additional 150 Bitcoin (BTC), bringing it one step closer to its plan of acquiring 21,000 BTC by 2026. The March 18 purchase cost an aggregate 1.88 billion yen ($12.6 million) or $83,671 per Bitcoin.

The purchase brings Metaplanet’s total holdings to 3,200 BTC worth $261.8 million at this time of writing. Despite this latest buy, Metaplanet’s stock price has fallen 0.5% on the day. On March 5, the company’s stock price jumped 19% after it announced its latest Bitcoin buy of 497 coins.

Metaplanet stock price change on March 18. Source: Google Finance

To date, Metaplanet has issued a little over 44 million common shares of company stock to fund its Bitcoin purchases. The use of stocks to raise money to buy Bitcoin has given the company the nickname “Asia’s MicroStrategy,” as the formula follows similar actions from Michael Saylor’s Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy).

Metaplanet’s BTC yield, a key performance indicator that shows the percentage change of total BTC holdings compared to fully diluted shares outstanding, is 60.8% for the ongoing quarter from Jan. 1, 2025, to March 18, 2025. That is a smaller change than the previous quarter, which saw a yield of 310%.

Related: Japan’s Metaplanet buys more Bitcoin, explores potential US listing

Metaplanet’s March 18 Bitcoin purchase makes it the 11th-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin and the largest in Asia, according to data from Bitgo.

Metaplanet’s 21,000 BTC plan sparks investor interest

After Metaplanet announced its plan to become a Bitcoin treasury company, its stock price rose 4,800% as of Feb. 10. Although its stock price has fallen 34% to 4,030 yen ($26.9) since Feb. 19, it is still well above the 150 yen ($1) that it registered on March 19, 2024.

According to a company presentation, Metaplanet’s shareholder base grew 500% in 2024, with 50,000 people or entities investing in the company. Its market capitalization has increased 9,652% in one year, according to data from Stock Analysis.

Related: Japan asks Apple, Google to remove unregistered crypto exchange apps

Metaplanet’s rise comes as Japan has shown a softening stance toward digital assets. On March 6, the country’s ruling party moved to reduce crypto capital gains taxes by 20%. In November 2024, the government passed a stimulus package, committing to crypto tax reform.

Japanese lawmaker Satoshi Hamada has asked the government to consider creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve and convert part of its foreign exchange reserve into BTC.

However, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later responded, saying the Japanese government didn’t know enough about other countries’ plans, which made it difficult for the government to express its views on the subject.

Magazine: X Hall of Flame, Benjamin Cowen: Bitcoin dominance will fall in 2025

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood believes the White House is underestimating the recession risk facing the US economy stemming from US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies — an oversight that will eventually force the president and Federal Reserve to enact pro-growth policies.

Speaking virtually at the Digital Asset Summit in New York on March 18, Wood said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent isn’t worried about a recession. 

However, Wood said, “We are worried about a recession,” adding, “We think the velocity of money is slowing down dramatically.”

Cathie Wood speaks virtually at the Digital Asset Summit. Source: Cointelegraph

A slowdown in the velocity of money means capital is changing hands less frequently, which is typically associated with a recession, as consumers and businesses spend and invest less money. 

“I think what’s happening, though, is that if we do have a recession, declining GDP, that this is going to give the president and the Fed many more degrees of freedom to do what they want in terms of tax cuts and monetary policy,” said Wood. 

Investors believe the first domino could fall in the coming months when the Fed puts an end to its quantitative tightening program — something bettors on Polymarket believe is 100% certain to happen before May.

Meanwhile, expectations for multiple rate cuts by the Fed in the second half of the year are growing, according to CME Group’s Fed Fund futures prices.

The probability of rates being lower than they are now by the Fed’s June 18 meeting is nearly 65%. Source: CME Group

Related: As Trump tanks Bitcoin, PMI offers a roadmap of what comes next

Focus remains long term

ARK and Cathie Wood have been active cryptocurrency investors for many years. ARK and 21Shares’ spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) was approved on Jan. 11, 2024, and currently has more than $3.9 billion in net assets, according to Yahoo Finance data. 

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded heavy outflows in recent weeks, but the overall trend shows investors are holding their positions. Source: Farside

ARK also offers crypto portfolio solutions to wealth managers through its partnership with Eaglebrook Advisors. 

Wood told the New York Digital Asset Summit that “long-term innovation wins as we go through these trials and tribulations,” referring to the recent market correction. 

When asked if crypto assets remain an “investable arc” over the long term, Wood said this strategy was the cornerstone of ARK’s investment approach. 

“[W]e’ve built out positions in more than just the big three,” she said, referring to Bitcoin, Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL).

This long-term arc is being supported by favorable regulations, which have improved the investment landscape dramatically. 

Pro-crypto policy changes are “giving institutions the green light, and if you look at our studies as long ago as 2016, we wrote a paper called ‘Bitcoin: Ringing the Bell for a New Asset Class,’ and, yet many institutions just dismissed it out of hand,” said Wood.

Now, institutions are looking at ARK’s studies and saying they “have a fiduciary responsibility to expose [their] clients to a new asset class.”

Magazine: Bitcoin ETFs make Coinbase a ‘honeypot’ for hackers and governments — Trezor CEO

Opinion by: Simon McLoughlin, CEO at Uphold

2021 witnessed a fintech investment boom, with startups raising approximately $229 billion globally. Higher interest rates and tighter economic circumstances have since tempered that exuberance, but funds continue to pile into the sector. Indeed, the global fintech sector is expected to see a rebound in investment activity throughout 2025.

Why are investors continuing to bet big on this sector? The answer is simple. The current international finance system is in urgent need of modernization. Built for a pre-internet age, it relies on outdated processes, chains of intermediaries and a patchwork of non-standard regulations. 

An aging and expensive system

Take SWIFT as a case in point. Founded in 1973, SWIFT remains the backbone of cross-border payments. SWIFT is nothing more than a messaging system that enables banks to communicate around transactions. It was never designed to manage funds or process transactions. As a result, a “make do and mend” approach has grown around international payments, characterized by a proliferation of intermediaries and local payment rails.

This antiquated, fragmented system creates significant friction in cross-border transactions, leading to delays, high costs and limited choice for individuals and businesses outside major economic blocs. Fees for international payments currently average 1.5% for businesses and all the way up to 6.3% for remittances. Payments can take up to several days to reach recipients.

This system hinders global commerce and exacerbates financial exclusion, particularly in the global south, where volatile local currencies and limited access to traditional banking services are common.

Many of these friction points could be resolved by stablecoins, making transferring money across borders as easy as sending an email. Indeed, the blockchain-based currency has the potential to revolutionize global finance. 

Democratizing access to fiat currencies

For people in countries with volatile economies or unstable governments, stablecoins offer a safe haven for savings. Stablecoins pegged 1:1 to a fiat currency such as the US dollar provide consumers in these regions with a way to escape their national financial system with a trustworthy and transparent alternative that protects them from inflation and currency devaluation. This is particularly important in the global south, where economic instability can erode the value of hard-earned income and savings. 

According to UBS, consumers in developing countries are also attracted to stablecoins due to the lower risk of government interference with the currency. The wealth management firm believes stablecoins are increasingly seen as “digital dollars” and used for everything from savings to transactions to remittances in these regions. 

Empowering small businesses and freelancers

Stablecoins can significantly reduce the costs and complexities associated with international payments, enabling small businesses and freelancers to participate in the global marketplace on a more level playing field. This opens up new opportunities for entrepreneurship and economic growth in developing countries.

Recent: Dubai recognizes USDC, EURC as first stablecoins under token regime

In our current payment system, physical money does not cross borders — only information does. A payroll company looking to pay a freelancer in a third country cannot do so directly and must use systems like Stripe, which uses virtual bank accounts to get around the problem.

With stablecoins, payroll companies can pay in any currency to any currency, using crypto on- and off-ramps to facilitate the payment. The business pays in dollars, for example, which is on-ramped to Tether’s USDt (USDT) and sent to the freelancer’s digital wallet, where they can either keep it or off-ramp it to their local currency. Stablecoins will prove to be, and are, a vital tool in helping businesses access global talent and fill their skills gaps. 

Facilitating financial inclusion

Through offering an alternative to traditional banking systems, stablecoins also provide financial services to the unbanked and underbanked populations. This can be particularly transformative in regions with limited access to traditional financial infrastructure or in countries like Argentina, where there is low confidence in the national monetary system. 

According to the Bank for International Settlements, stablecoins can enable a wide range of payments and provide a gateway to other financial services, replicating the role of transaction accounts as a stepping stone to broader financial inclusion. 

Given their ability to provide access to financial services anywhere with an internet connection, stablecoins are seeing explosive growth in emerging markets. Use cases are expanding rapidly across Africa, Latin America, and parts of developing Asia, where they are being used to hedge against inflation, for remittances and cross-border payments, and as a simpler alternative to US dollar banking. This growth trajectory can be expected to continue in the years ahead. 

A shot in the arm for global business

Stablecoins are rapidly rising in popularity and already total more than $233 billion in market capitalization, while transaction volumes in 2024 reached $15.6 trillion, surpassing those of Visa. In an increasingly uncertain world, they offer a stable, low-cost and rapid means of transferring money across borders, helping to increase financial inclusion and smooth access to global talent for employers. Stablecoins are a digital-first financial tool for a digital-first world and are ideally suited to replacing the current archaic international payments system. 

Opinion by: Simon McLoughlin, CEO at Uphold

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.