Tokyo-listed Metaplanet has approved a 75 billion yen share repurchase program, backed by a $500 million credit facility, aiming to close the gap between its stock price and its 30,823 Bitcoin holdings, valued at $3.5 billion.
The Japanese firm, now Asia’s largest listed Bitcoin treasury and the fourth-largest globally, has become the first major digital asset treasury company to consistently trade below its crypto reserves, with its market-to-net-asset-value ratio dropping to 0.99 this month.
The Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 150 million common shares, representing 13.13% of the total issued shares, over the next 12 months through discretionary trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Representative Director Simon Gerovich confirmed the initiative is designed to “enhance capital efficiency and maximize BTC Yield”, defined as the rate of increase in Bitcoin held per share, particularly when the company’s valuation multiple falls below 1.0x.
Metaplanet’s challenges are part of a broader crisis affecting digital asset treasury companies worldwide, with K33 Research reporting that 26 of 168 Bitcoin-holding firms now trade below their net asset values from last month.
Industry-wide premiums compressed from an average of 3.76x in April to 2.8x currently, while daily Bitcoin accumulation by treasury companies slowed to just 1,428 tokens in September, the weakest pace since May.
NAKA, the merger vehicle of KindlyMD and Nakamoto Holdings, plummeted 96% from its peak and now trades at just 0.7x net asset value after previously commanding a 75x premium.
Other prominent firms, including Twenty One, Semler Scientific, and The Smarter Web Company, have also fallen short of their Bitcoin holdings.
Metaplanet shares reached all-time highs in mid-June but have declined approximately 70%, currently trading at 499 yen, up 2.2% today.
Source: Google Finance
Mark Chadwick, a Japan equity analyst publishing on Smartkarma, characterized the downturn as “a popping of a bubble,” noting that the “general euphoria” surrounding Bitcoin stockpiling has cooled significantly.
However, he believed “long-term Bitcoin bulls” may view the discount as a buying opportunity.
The newly established credit facility provides a maximum borrowing capacity of $500 million, collateralized by Bitcoin, enabling share repurchases while maintaining flexibility for additional Bitcoin acquisitions and investments in its BTC Income business.
