TLDR
- Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich confirmed the company moved 5,014 BTC ($322M) between its own custodial addresses, not a sale
- Total Bitcoin holdings remain at 43,000 BTC following the transfers
- Moving $322 million in Bitcoin cost Metaplanet roughly $8 in network fees
- Metaplanet is the third-largest public Bitcoin treasury company globally, behind Strategy and Twenty One Capital
- The company is targeting 100,000 BTC by end of 2026 and 210,000 BTC by end of 2027
Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich stepped in on August 13 to shut down speculation that the Japanese Bitcoin treasury company had sold a large chunk of its holdings.
“This was a routine custody operation. No bitcoin was sold, and our holdings remain 43,000 BTC,” Gerovich said.
The statement came after onchain trackers spotted large wallet movements tied to Metaplanet over a 24-hour period. Lookonchain flagged 3,881 BTC leaving wallets linked to the company, valued at around $247 million at the time.
We transferred 5,014 BTC between Metaplanet custodial addresses over the past 24 hours. This was a routine custody operation. No bitcoin was sold, and our holdings remain 43,000 BTC.
All of our addresses are published, which is why the transfers were observable in real time.…
— Simon Gerovich (@gerovich) August 12, 2026
Gerovich later confirmed the total moved was 5,014 BTC, worth roughly $322 million. He said all funds moved between Metaplanet’s own custodial addresses.
The cost to move $322 million in Bitcoin? Around $8 in total network fees.
Why the Transfer Caused Confusion
Large Bitcoin movements from publicly known wallets tend to raise questions quickly in crypto markets. Metaplanet publishes its wallet addresses, making the transfers visible to anyone watching the blockchain in real time.
But a transfer is not the same as a sale. Bitcoin can move between cold storage, custodians, or other company-controlled wallets without any change in ownership. Wednesday’s movements showed where the coins were going, not whether they had been exchanged for cash.
This is not the first time Metaplanet transfers have drawn attention. In March, the company moved around 4,986 BTC worth roughly $368 million after months of wallet inactivity. No sale was confirmed at that time either.
Metaplanet’s official filings showed no Bitcoin sale notice as of August 13. Its latest filing was dated August 10 and covered an extraordinary shareholder meeting. The most recent Bitcoin purchase filing was dated July 2.
Where Metaplanet Stands Now
Metaplanet holds 43,000 BTC and ranks third among public companies globally by Bitcoin holdings. Strategy leads with 840,447 BTC, followed by Twenty One Capital with 43,514 BTC. Metaplanet sits just 514 BTC behind Twenty One Capital.
Bitcoin was trading near $63,616 on August 13, below Metaplanet’s reported average acquisition cost of around $96,191 per coin. Lookonchain estimated the company was carrying about $1.4 billion in unrealized losses at that price. This is a mark-to-market figure, not a realized loss, and no coins were sold.
Metaplanet shares traded around 223 yen at 1:14 p.m. JST, up about 0.9% on the day. There was no sharp negative reaction following the CEO’s clarification.
The company is primarily listed in Tokyo but trades for U.S. investors on OTCQX under the ticker MTPLF.
Metaplanet needs roughly 57,000 more Bitcoin to hit its 100,000 BTC target by end of 2026. Its last confirmed purchase was in July, when it raised total holdings to 43,000 BTC after buying 2,823 BTC in the second quarter.
Beyond accumulation, the company launched a 4 billion yen Bitcoin venture initiative in March to invest in financial infrastructure in Japan. As of August 13, the only confirmed explanation for the latest transfer remains Gerovich’s: a routine custody operation with no change to the treasury balance.
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