Metaplanet has announced that National Financial Services LLC (NFS), the broker-dealer of Fidelity Investments, is now its largest shareholder.
In a July 15 disclosure, the firm revealed that NFS holds 84.4 million shares, equivalent to 12.9% of its total equity. Based on current valuations, this stake is worth approximately ¥121 billion or around $816 million.
As of March 31, NFS only held 1.91 million shares in Metaplanet.
NFS is a brokerage firm for retail and institutional investors using Fidelity’s trading platforms. Fidelity is one of the 12 issuers of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US, with its FBTC fund managing around $25 billion in assets.
This dramatic increase reflects growing institutional and retail interest in the Japan-based firm, which is largely driven by its bold commitment to Bitcoin.
Earlier this month, Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich reported that Capital Group, another major US asset management firm overseeing $2.9 trillion in assets, disclosed a sizable position in Metaplanet. The firm reportedly owns 44.2 million shares, representing 6.6% of total ownership.
Georvich said these investments were evidence that the firm’s “shareholder base continues to evolve as global access expands.”
Bitcoin holdings surge amid stock headwinds
This institutional attention comes amid Metaplanet’s aggressive Bitcoin purchases over the past year.
According to Metaplanet’s data, the Japan-based firm holds 16,352 BTC, which was acquired for $1.6 billion. The significant holdings have yielded unrealized profits of more than $300 million.
The holdings have also positioned the firm as the fifth-largest public holder of Bitcoin, surpassing names like Tesla.
Despite this aggressive accumulation strategy, Metaplanet’s stock has faced recent headwinds. According to Yahoo Finance data, its shares are down over 24% in the past month, trading at around ¥1,436 after an 8% drop today.
Still, Metaplanet’s stock trading activity remains elevated.
Dylan LeClair, the company’s Director of Bitcoin Strategy, reported that the firm accounted for 29.2% of all Japanese yen-denominated trading volume on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Standard Market over the past 20 sessions.
This momentum follows a staggering 1,400% gain in the company’s stock price over the past year, reinforcing its profile as one of Japan’s most watched mid-cap stocks.
July 16 Update: The headline and body of the story was updated to reflect that National Financial Services is a clearing and custody broker-dealer of Fidelity.
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