AI TRENDS | Metaplanet CEO Says First Asian Bitcoin Cycle Has Begun

Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich said at the Bitcoin Asia 2026 conference in Hong Kong that the first Asian Bitcoin cycle has begun. According to Foresight News, he said Bitcoin had fallen by about half from its peak at the recent low, while Metaplanet shares and other companies in the same category dropped even more, and that the market turned last week. Gerovich said this year’s sellers were forced to sell, while new buyers entering the market would not leave. He said he believes the bottom has already formed and expects the rest of the year to be much brighter, adding that anyone can turn bullish after a rebound. He said previous cycles belonged to the West, but the first Asian cycle has now started. Gerovich pointed to a shift in savings and rules, saying Japanese households hold about $14 trillion in financial assets, with about half sitting in bank deposits earning almost no interest. He said this, together with wealth managed in South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong, forms the world’s deepest pool of patient savings, while cash in the U.S. accounts for about 13% of household wealth. He also said Japan passed a law in July this year to place Bitcoin under the same regulatory framework as stocks and bonds, with capital gains tax set to fall from as high as 55% to 20% and implementation targeted for 2027 to 2028. He added that rules in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore are also moving forward. Gerovich said the opportunity is not Bitcoin’s price rise itself, but that most capital in Asia cannot buy it. He said Japanese retail investors do not have spot ETFs or direct access through securities accounts, pension bond mandates do not allow holdings of non-yielding, non-priority assets, and only 20 listed companies across Asia currently hold Bitcoin, with combined holdings less than one-tenth of Strategy’s.