The ripple effects of US President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto policies are driving a surge in Bitcoin demand in Japan, with Metaplanet Inc. seeing a staggering 4,800% rise in shares over the past year.
This makes Metaplanet the top-performing Japanese stock in that period, and one of the highest globally, News.Az reports, citing Bloomberg.
Shares of Metaplanet Inc. are up around 4,800% over the past 12 months, the largest gain among all Japanese equities in that period and one of the highest globally, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Bitcoin itself hit a record high of $109,241 on Jan. 20 as Trump was sworn in for his second term, although it’s since erased some of those gains as his trade policies fanned global instability.
Metaplanet is one of a number of outfits around the world that aim to emulate the success of Michael Saylor’s Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy Inc. The Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company has morphed into a leveraged Bitcoin proxy and behemoth after accumulating more than $45 billion of the token.
Since then, Metaplanet’s shareholders have increased to almost 50,000, growing by 500% in 2024, according to the company. Shareholders include Capital Group — which also invests in Strategy — but the vast majority are retail investors, many of whom have limited experience with volatile crypto assets.
After six straight years of losses, the company reported ¥350 million ($2.3 million) in operating profit for the year ended December 2024 on Monday. The results will likely bolster Metaplanet’s stock further, said Ewart-White.
