Bitcoin Japan's AI-Economy Bet: Investing in Rare Earths, SpaceX, and Robotics
Bitcoin Japan Corporation has undergone a significant transformation from its roots as an apparel company to becoming a major player in the AI and Bitcoin investment space. Founded in 1861, Marusho Hotta, changed its name to Bitcoin Japan Corporation in 2025 and shifted its focus towards investing in Bitcoin, artificial intelligence, robotics, and critical minerals.
The company raised nearly $60 million in funding in July, with a significant portion earmarked for rare earth mining. Bitcoin Japan's Representative Director, President, and CEO, Phillip Lord, explained that the funding will be used to build the infrastructure necessary for investing in multiple aspects of AI infrastructure, including SpaceX and Figure AI.
Lord highlighted that the company's investment in SpaceX is focused on the physical layer underneath the AI and compute buildout. He stated that the company entered at $122 per share and saw a reference valuation of around $153 by the end of June 2026, indicating that the investment is tracking well ahead of their entry point.
Bitcoin Japan also invested in Figure AI, a robotics developer specializing in humanoid robots for manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing. Lord emphasized that this position aligns with the company's Robotics-as-a-Service strategy in Tokyo and is not solely a diversification play.