Bitcoin acquisition firm Metaplanet has launched a new venture capital firm called Metaplanet Ventures to support the development of the Bitcoin ecosystem in Japan as the country looks to recognize Bitcoin as a regulated financial asset within the next two years.
Metaplanet said on Thursday that Metaplanet Ventures KK will be tasked with financing, incubating and scaling companies that build a regulated financial infrastructure for Bitcoin, especially those that strengthen Japan’s domestic ecosystem and make it a stronger competitor internationally.
Metaplanet said it is expanding its Bitcoin strategy in anticipation of Bitcoin (BTC) being classified as a regulated financial asset by January 2028.
Metaplanet Ventures is divided into investment, incubation and grant programs.
The investment program will support from the seed stage to the stage of startups that build Bitcoin infrastructure on the Bitcoin 2 Lightning Network layer and on other payment and credit-oriented platforms.
Metaplanet said startups focused on stablecoins, trading in options and derivatives markets, storage and tokenization could also receive support, indicating that it could support crypto infrastructure outside of the Bitcoin ecosystem.
The incubator program will focus on early-stage Bitcoin startups and crypto infrastructure in the country, while the grants program will fund developers, educators, researchers and open Bitcoin community organizers.
Metaplanet said it expects to pour 4 billion Japanese yen ($25.2 million) into these programs over the first two to three years, which will be funded by cash flow generated from the Bitcoin revenue business.
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Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich and CEO Shinpei Okuno were named representatives of Metaplanet Ventures.
Bitcoin hosting is still Metaplanet’s main priority
Despite expanding into crypto startup investing, Metaplanet said that collecting and holding Bitcoin for the long term remains its “primary focus.”
Data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET shows that Metaplanet is the fourth largest bitcoin holder, with 35,102 bitcoins worth $2.44 billion listed on its balance sheet.
The Gerovic-led company said in June that it aims to collect 210,000 bitcoins — 1% of the Bitcoin network’s maximum supply — by the end of 2027.
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