Vanguard Acquires 4.5 Million Metaplanet Shares for $7.5 Million via Small-Cap ETF

Asset manager Vanguard has expanded its indirect Bitcoin exposure by purchasing 4.5 million shares of Japanese Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet for approximately $7.5 million through its FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETF (VSS). The acquisition marks the first direct position in Metaplanet for this specific fund, adding to Vanguard's Total International index fund holding of 15.64 million shares valued at about $53.5 million. Metaplanet holds 44,000 BTC on its balance sheet, as traditional institutions increasingly access digital assets through corporate proxies while Bitcoin rebounded above $79,000.