Citigroup Purchases 1M Metaplanet Shares As Stock Price Hits 12-Year High

Earlier this week, banking giant Citigroup purchased nearly 1 million Metaplanet shares, the biggest public holder of Bitcoins in Japan. The Japanese firm is emerging as a strong Bitcoin proxy bet, gathering massive institutional interest, with its stock price gaining 400% since the beginning of 2025, hitting a new 12-year high above 1,800 JPY level.

Metaplanet Shares Sees Strong Institutional Demand

With Metaplanet crossing more than 10,000 Bitcoin holdings earlier this week, the institutional demand for its shares continues to rise. Over the past week, Citigroup and Capital Group have emerged as the top buyers of Metaplanet shares.

As per the recent data shared by company CEO Simon Gerovich, Citigroup has purchased a total of 962,000 shares, while Capital Group has amassed 1.8 million shares. Thus, with a stake of nearly $500 million, Capital Group now becomes the second-largest holder of Metaplanet as of date.

Why Did Evo Fund Sell over 4.3 Million Shares

As per the above image, Evo Fund sold nearly 4.3 million Metaplanet shares over the past month. While this might concern investors, popular community member Vincent explains:

“EVO Fund provides financing to Metaplanet, especially during these strategic windows of opportunity. This allows Metaplanet to acquire Bitcoin upfront, which naturally drives the mNAV lower before launching an ATM (at-the-market offering). In essence, they are borrowing against future mNAV—front-loading Bitcoin accumulation and enhancing capital efficiency”.

Vincent pointed out to a $210 million 0% loan recently secured by Metaplanet. This loan, Vincent emphasized, is nearly three times larger than a previous $71 million loan issued around the time of the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas. Without this fund, it would have been difficult for Metaplanet to accelerate its Bitcoin acquisition plan. Earlier this month, the Japanese firm announced $5.4 billion in fundraising with the goal of purchasing 210,000 BTC by 2027.

Metaplanet Overtakes Coinbase In Total Bitcoin Holdings

With 10,000 Bitcoin Treasury, Metaplanet has surged past crypto exchange Coinbase in total Bitcoin holdings. Its next immediate target is Tesla Inc., which holds 11,509 Bitcoins. With the goal of acquiring 30,000 Bitcoins by the year-end, the Japanese firm will be among the top five largest BTC holders globally.

On Thursday, publicly traded healthcare technology firm Semler Scientific announced plans to substantially increase its Bitcoin holdings. The company aims to grow its Bitcoin treasury to 105,000 BTC by the end of 2027, signaling a strong commitment to the cryptocurrency as part of its long-term strategy.