Struggling Japanese AI Firm Turns to Bitcoin via Hong Kong Subsidiary

Tokyo-listed AI firm Quantum Solutions is preparing to buy up to millions in Bitcoin over the next year through GPT Pals Studio, its lesser-known subsidiary based in Hong Kong.

“Until now, neither our company nor any group companies have ever held crypto assets as reserve assets,” it said in a note published last Wednesday, claiming that the move would help it manage surplus funds, diversify its portfolio, and reduce foreign exchange risks.

From a century-old textile manufacturer to a struggling biotech startup and a debt-laden coffee chain, financially distressed companies are increasingly turning to Bitcoin, and sometimes other cryptos, as part of headline-grabbing treasury pivots.

Acknowledging the trend as something that’s been happening “among publicly listed companies and institutional investors,” Quantum characterized Bitcoin treasury strategies as a way to “hedge against inflation and a means of preserving value.”

Quantum also said the crypto asset business will be promoted through GPT Pals Studio under a phased investment plan, with acquisitions capped at 3,000 BTC over 12 months. 

Assets will be held in a dedicated account at Hashkey Exchange, a licensed platform in Hong Kong, with oversight from an internal control committee. An initial $10 million Bitcoin purchase will be funded through borrowing, though further financing has yet to be secured.

Disclaimer: HashKey Exchange is operated by HashKey Group. HashKey Capital, also part of the HashKey Group, is one of 22 investors in an editorially independent Decrypt.

But despite the aggressive target, Quantum Solutions is on shaky financial ground.

The company posted a ¥160 million ($1 million) net loss in Q1 FY2026 and flagged “significant doubt” over its ability to continue as a going concern. It closed the quarter with ¥146 million ($940,000) in cash and ¥332 million ($2.1 million) in total assets, propped up in part by equity issuance.

Quantum Solutions did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.

“When strong firms stack sats, it’s strategy. When distressed ones do it, it’s a gamble wrapped in hopium, chasing upside from the corporate treasury trend,” Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at Kronos Research, told Decrypt. “For most distressed firms, it’s less about hedging and more about headlines, marketing conviction, not managing risk.”

Such moves tend to shape perception as much as strategy, Decrypt was told.

“Positioning oneself as a Bitcoin financial company is the easiest way for a company to reevaluate its corporate value,” Ryan Yoon, senior analyst at Tiger Research, told Decrypt.

Yet, some go so far as to say “there is a more deceptive aspect to it,” where coin holders invest in the company and use the funds to sell their own coins, “aiming for a premium,” Yoon said.

Moves like these are “closer to a brand strategy,” he added.