Metaplanet Buys 497 BTC in Another Bargain-Hunting Bitcoin Acquisition

By Kapil Rajyaguru

Metaplanet Buys 497 BTC in Another Bargain-Hunting Bitcoin Acquisition

Tokyo-listed Metaplanet announced on Wednesday that it had acquired 497 bitcoin (BTC), valued at $43.3 million, at an average price of $88,448, the company’s CEO Simon Gerovich announced on X.

This brings its total BTC holdings to 2,888 BTC. The firm’s total coin stash has an aggregate cost basis of $240 million, with an average purchase price of $83,172.

Ethereum’s ‘Pectra’ Upgrade Moves Closer to Mainnet After Sepolia Test

Ethereum’s long-awaited Pectra upgrade took a major step forward early Wednesday with its successful deployment on the Sepolia test network.

The biggest upgrade to Ethereum since 2024, Pectra consists of 11 major features, or “Ethereum improvement proposals” (EIPs), that will be shipped all at once. Together, the features aim to enhance staking, wallet functionality, and overall network efficiency.

Ethereum developers are set to meet on Mar. 6 to discuss Pectra’s mainnet release timeline. With only one fully successful test, developers may opt to delay the mainnet deployment to ensure stability.

Blockstream to Launch 3 Funds After Securing Multi-Billion Dollar Investment

Blockstream has raised several billion dollars to launch three investment funds, including two focused on crypto lending, Bloomberg reported.

The funds, set to launch in April, will offer Bitcoin-backed loans, crypto borrowing with U.S. dollars as collateral, and hedge fund strategies.

The move comes as Blockstream expands in Japan, aiming to advance Bitcoin Layer-2 solutions, self-custody, and real-world asset tokenization.

Circle’s USDC to be First USD Stablecoin in Japan

SBI VC Trade, a subsidiary of financial giant SBI Holdings, has secured regulatory approval as an Electronic Payments Provider in Japan.

The regulatory approval, granted under the Japan Financial Services Agency’s (JFSA) new framework, allows the exchange to offer stablecoins, making it the first in the country to list and distribute USDC.

In Japan, regulatory changes in 2023 cleared the way for licensed intermediaries to handle foreign stablecoins, subject to oversight.

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