Metaplanet Teams Up With Ripple Ally SBI To Bolster Its Bitcoin-Buying Strategy; XRP Plans Next?

Metaplanet, a major Japanese-headquartered prolific Bitcoin (BTC) investor now recognized as a MicroStrategy imitator,” is collaborating with Ripple’s banking partner, the financial conglomerate SBI.

The strategic partnership is aimed at supporting Metaplanet’s ongoing efforts to expand its Bitcoin corporate treasury.

SBI To Provide Metaplanet With Custody And Trading Support

Metaplanet — known as “Japan’s MicroStrategy” on Crypto Twitter — has joined forces with SBI VC Trade, a division of Tokyo-based SBI Holdings.

The collaboration gives Metaplanet access to SBI’s compliant custodial services, designed to prioritize tax efficiency and provide the potential to use Bitcoin as collateral for financing. This is part of Metaplanet’s broader strategy to engage with industry players in Japan and broaden its financial options.

“This collaboration is part of our ongoing effort to engage with leading industry stakeholders in Japan who support our corporate Bitcoin accumulation strategy,” Metaplanet’s official announcement states.

Tokyo stock exchange listed Metaplanet revealed that as its Bitcoin haul grows, it will continue to explore financial tools that provide greater “financial flexibility.”

Following in the footsteps of Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin in the world, Metaplanet’s new main corporate objective is to accumulate as much of the benchmark cryptocurrency as possible. The publicly traded firm announced it had adopted BTC as its “core treasury reserve asset” to hedge against Japan’s debt burden and yen volatility. Metaplanet held roughly 360.4 BTC (worth around $20 million) as of August 20.

In its official announcement, SBI VC Trade said it would assist Metaplanet in addressing its Bitcoin accumulation strategy by offering trading and operation support.

“Focused on Bitcoin’s rarity and non-political monetary policy, Metaplanet appointed Bitcoin as a major financial asset and advanced Bitcoin’s accumulation through both debt and equity financing,” SBI VC Trade continued.

XRP Plans In The Pipeline?

Like MicroStrategy, Metaplanet’s focus has so far been on the apex cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. Nevertheless, SBI and Metaplanet’s joint venture has sparked hopes for XRP enthusiasts that their favorite crypto could soon secure a place on the company’s balance sheet.

As you may already know, SBI is one of the XRP community’s most prominent supporters. SBI Group became the first Japan-based corporation to leverage XRP Ledger (XRPL) blockchain supply chain solutions after Ripple forged a partnership with Tokyo-based consulting firm HashKey DX in April to push enterprise blockchain solution use cases in the East Asian country.

Furthermore, SBI’s recent partnership with notable crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider Franklin Templeton also introduced the possibility of a spot XRP product in Japan.