Two publicly listed companies, Japan’s Metaplanet and the United Kingdom’s The Smarter Web Company, have collectively added close to $100 million worth of Bitcoin to their corporate reserves, further strengthening their positions among the world’s largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency.
Metaplanet’s $61.4 Million Acquisition
On Tuesday, Tokyo-listed Metaplanet disclosed the purchase of 518 Bitcoin for approximately $61.4 million at an average price of $118,519 per coin. This acquisition increases the company’s total holdings to 18,113 BTC, valued at around $2.15 billion at current market prices, with an average purchase price of $101,911 per Bitcoin.
Led by Chief Executive Officer Simon Gerovich, Metaplanet now ranks sixth globally among public companies holding Bitcoin, trailing behind Strategy, MARA, XXI, Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company, and Riot. The latest acquisition follows Metaplanet’s earlier announcement this month of plans to raise up to 555 billion Japanese yen ($3.7 billion) through the issuance of perpetual preferred shares, aimed at supporting its ongoing Bitcoin acquisition strategy.
Smarter Web’s $35.2 Million Purchase
The Smarter Web Company, a London-listed business specialising in web design and Bitcoin treasury management, also revealed on Tuesday that it had acquired 295 BTC for £26.3 million ($35.2 million) at an average price of $119,412.
The acquisition was partially funded by a $10.2 million equity raise completed on Monday, alongside a $21 million Bitcoin-denominated bond offering announced last week. These latest purchases bring Smarter Web’s total holdings to 2,395 BTC, acquired at an average price of $110,555 each, with a total cost of $264.8 million. The company’s Bitcoin reserve is now valued at approximately $284.8 million, reflecting an unrealised gain of about $20 million.
With more than 1,500 BTC added in July alone, Smarter Web has risen from 36th to 23rd in the global rankings of public company Bitcoin holdings and aims to enter the top 20 in the coming weeks.
Corporate Bitcoin Holdings Top $100 Billion
As of July, public companies collectively hold 791,662 BTC, equivalent to nearly 4% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply, with a combined value exceeding $100 billion. This consolidation of digital assets in corporate treasuries is attracting increasing attention from analysts and policymakers.
Concerns Over Potential Government Action
Some market observers have raised concerns that the growing concentration of Bitcoin in corporate hands could present a centralised vulnerability for the cryptocurrency. Prominent crypto analyst Willy Woo has suggested that the United States might one day nationalise these reserves, drawing historical parallels to the end of the gold standard in 1971 under President Richard Nixon. Woo speculated that, in a scenario similar to the suspension of gold convertibility, the US government could centralise corporate Bitcoin holdings, potentially seizing or restricting access to them.
While such a move remains hypothetical, the sheer scale of corporate Bitcoin ownership underscores its rising significance in global financial markets and its potential exposure to future regulatory intervention.
