NATO defense officials have confirmed that European allies, led by the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries, currently carry the primary responsibility for Arctic military operations, as the United States lacks sufficient forces and experience for sustained activity in the High North, according to The Times. The assessment follows recent allied exercises and internal NATO evaluations [β¦]
The Norwegian Armed Forces, alongside about 3,000 United States Marines and other U.S. and NATO units, will conduct Exercise Cold Response 26 in northern Norway in March 2026, with allied forces beginning cold-weather training deployments as early as January, U.S. and Norwegian officials confirmed. The exercise is a Norwegian-led, routine winter drill designed to test [β¦]
Norwayβs Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the manager of the countryβs $1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund, has voted in favor of all five management proposals at Metaplanetβs upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Dec. 22, endorsing the firmβs bitcoin treasury strategy.
NBIM, which held roughly a 0.3% stake in Metaplanet as of June 30, disclosed its vote via Dylan LeClair, Metaplanetβs director of bitcoin strategy.
The five proposals are designed to expand the companyβs capital flexibility and support non-dilutive bitcoin accumulation.
One proposal would reduce capital stock and capital reserves, allowing funds to be transferred to surplus. This would enable dividends, share buybacks, or bitcoin acquisitions without increasing the number of outstanding common shares.
Another proposal seeks to increase the companyβs authorized share count, including the introduction of new preferred share classes. Metaplanet said this would allow it to raise capital in the future to fund bitcoin purchases while preserving flexibility in its capital structure.
JUST IN: Norwayβs sovereign wealth fund just backed all the Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanetβs proposal.
A key component of the plan is the introduction of perpetual preferred shares. The proposed Class A preferred shares, branded as MARS, would offer variable monthly dividends and rank senior in the capital structure.
The company also plans to introduce perpetual Class B preferred shares, known as MERCURY, which would feature fixed quarterly dividends, conversion options, and cash redemption features.Β
Metaplanet is seeking authorization to issue MERCURY shares to institutional investors as part of a planned $150 million third-party allotment to fund additional bitcoin purchases.
Metaplanet said the preferred share structure is intended to attract long-term institutional capital while limiting dilution to common shareholders.
The Tokyo-listed firm has increasingly positioned itself as a corporate bitcoin treasury vehicle, drawing comparisons to U.S. firms that have adopted similar strategies.Metaplanetβs common shares are up about 8% year-to-date.Β
Last month, Metaplanet, was the worldβs fourth-largest corporate holder of bitcoin with 30,823 BTC, and continually says they are planning new capital toward additional bitcoin purchases, with the remainder directed to income-generating bitcoin strategies and the redemption of outstanding corporate bonds.
In early November, Metaplanet drew $100 million from its $500 million credit facility, secured by just 3% of its 30,823 BTC holdings, to fund further Bitcoin purchases, expand its income-generating options business, and potentially repurchase shares.
The flexible, no-fixed-maturity loan allows repayment at any time and is tied to U.S. benchmark rates, though the lender remains undisclosed.