[NEWS] SBC Medical Group, operator of Shonan Beauty Clinic, to purchase 1 billion yen worth of Bitcoin

SBC Medical Group Holdings, which operates the Shonan Beauty Clinic and other clinics, announced on the 12th that it will purchase 1 billion yen worth of Bitcoin (BTC). The purchase period is scheduled to be from February to May.

The purchase of Bitcoin will be made by SBC Medical Group Holdings, a US corporation. Instead of procuring Bitcoin in the Japanese market, it will be made through the US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. This is said to be the result of considering accounting, tax, and security aspects.

SBC Medical Group Holdings explained the reason for purchasing Bitcoin as "We believe that it will function effectively as a means of preserving asset value during times of inflation when the value of currency falls." In addition to Bitcoin currently attracting attention as a means of inflation hedging by companies, the company aims to build a foundation that supports sustainable growth by positioning it as an important step in building a strong financial system that can flexibly respond to any fluctuation in the economic environment.

Shonan Beauty Clinic is known as a cosmetic medical clinic with 246 clinics both in Japan and overseas. It was listed on the US Nasdaq in September last year.

Currently, there are a series of cases of domestic and foreign listed companies purchasing Bitcoin.

In Japan, Metaplanet launched an investment strategy in Bitcoin last year and currently holds 1,761 BTC. Metaplanet has stated that it will increase its Bitcoin holdings to 10,000 BTC by the end of this year, and aims to hold 21,000 BTC by the end of 2026.

In addition, game development company gumi recently announced that it will purchase 1 billion yen worth of Bitcoin. The company also plans to purchase Bitcoin from February to May, and also announced that it will be the first domestic listed company to participate as a validator for "Babylon," a staking protocol that allows Bitcoin to be used as security collateral for other blockchains.

In addition, listed companies such as Remixpoint and GFA are purchasing various altcoins in addition to Bitcoin. Remixpoint announced additional purchases of crypto assets on the 4th of this month, revealing that its valuation loss on its 9 billion yen investment amounted to approximately 380 million yen. GFA made headlines when it announced that it would be investing in NYANMARU Coin (NYAN), a meme coin based on Nyanmaru, an IP of pachinko giant Maruhan.

Reference: Announcement
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