Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich believes Bitcoin's recent recovery could mark the end of its latest downturn, while a growing pool of Asian capital could help drive the cryptocurrency's next major market cycle.
Speaking at Bitcoin Asia 2026 in Hong Kong on Friday, Gerovich reflected on Bitcoin's decline after the asset traded above $100,000 a year earlier. However, Gerovich said the market has now begun to change, with forced selling giving way to stronger demand.
“This year's sellers sold because they had to. The buyers arriving now aren't going anywhere,†Gerovich said. “I believe the bottom is in, and I'm expecting a much brighter rest of the year.â€
Metaplanet continued accumulating Bitcoin during the downturn, with Gerovich emphasizing that the company's balance sheet was structured to avoid being forced to sell during periods of market weakness.
Notably, the strategy has transformed Metaplanet from its former hotel and technology business into the largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder in Asia, with 43,000 BTC in its treasury.



 
The boss believes Metaplanet's experience could be an early indication of a much larger shift across the region.
For years, Asian households and institutions have accumulated enormous amounts of savings, particularly in Japan. Gerovich noted that Japanese households hold roughly $14 trillion in financial assets, with around half sitting in bank deposits earning little return.
Furthermore, he argued that the investment environment is changing as inflation returns, the yen weakens, and regulators across Asia establish clearer rules for digital assets.
“In America, cash is about 13% of household wealth. Europe sits in between, and that savings rate gap is the fuel,†Gerovich noted.
Gerovich also pointed to regulatory changes across Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian markets as another factor that could accelerate Bitcoin adoption in the region.
Meanwhile, he believes the region remains significantly underdeveloped in corporate Bitcoin adoption. He said only 20 Asian public companies currently hold Bitcoin, with the combined holdings representing less than a tenth of Strategy's Bitcoin position.
That gap, he argues, represents a major opportunity rather than a weakness.
“The opportunity isn't simply that Bitcoin goes up. Anyone in this room can buy Bitcoin. The opportunity is that most of Asia's capital cannot.â€
He believes the next phase of Bitcoin adoption in Asia will depend on regulated financial infrastructure, including custody, lending and trading products designed for local markets.
Additionally, the CEO believes similar infrastructure could emerge across Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and other financial centers as regulators and institutions become more comfortable with Bitcoin.
Rather than simply following the United States, he expects Asian companies and investors to develop their own Bitcoin ecosystem around local markets and currencies.
“The next cycle doesn't need Asia to follow anyone. It needs Asian companies, Asian institutions, and Asian savers to lead at home in their own currency and under their own rules.â€
For Gerovich, that process may already be underway, with the current period marking the early stages of Bitcoin's first major Asian-led cycle.
