Metaplanet CEO responds to equity incentive doubts, shareholders say key issues remain unresolved
The CEO of Bitcoin Reserve Company Metaplanet, Simon Gerovich, posted on the X platform in response to the controversy surrounding the company's equity incentive plan and MMXX Ventures. Gerovich admitted that the company "failed to adequately explain" the incentive arrangement known as "Series 10 Stock Options" and stated that he is a "significant but non-controlling shareholder" of MMXX's parent company, not involved in its trading decisions.The controversy stems from a stock rights plan established in December 2022, with a reward pool set at 20% of Metaplanet's fully diluted equity. After shifting to a Bitcoin reserve strategy in April 2024, the company dilutes existing shareholders with each new share issuance, while Gerovich's option rights increase accordingly. On August 18, the board canceled the floating adjustment mechanism, fixing the Series 10 pool at 319 million shares and setting a five-year lock-up period, but did not restore the reward pool to the level it was at when the Bitcoin strategy was initiated. On August 28, Gerovich exercised 92,000 Series 10 options, acquiring 64 million new shares, and currently holds about 6.2% of the company; he and MMXX together hold over 27% of the fully diluted equity.Shareholders expressed dissatisfaction. A shareholder using the pseudonym The Bitcoin Pharaoh stated on X that the adjustments in August were "a step in the right direction," but demanded that Gerovich address the issues that have arisen, disclose the owners of MMXX, and restore the reward pool to the level it was at when the Bitcoin strategy was initiated.
