Metaplanet to acquire Siiibo Securities for 2.1 billion yen

Metaplanet, the third-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin globally, has agreed to acquire Siiibo Securities, a licensed Japanese securities firm, for 2.1 billion yen. The move marks the company's first major acquisition and a strategic pivot from simply accumulating Bitcoin to building a regulated financial ecosystem around the cryptocurrency.

The transaction, announced on June 12, is expected to close on July 13. Following the completion, Siiibo Securities will be renamed Metaplanet Securities and become a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition provides Metaplanet with direct control of a Type I Financial Instruments Business Operator license, a key regulatory category in Japan that allows for the structuring and distribution of securities products.

Company CEO Simon Gerovich described the deal as the first concrete step in "Project Nova," Metaplanet's long-term strategy to create a Bitcoin-centric financial services ecosystem. He stated the significance lies in accessing Japan's substantial pool of household capital, estimated at roughly 7.4 trillion yen held in cash and low-yield deposits, which is increasingly seeking returns amid a shift from deflation to inflation.