Japan-based 3D-printed housing company Lib Work Co. has joined the growing list of non-crypto-native firms buying Bitcoin for its corporate treasury, just a month after launching an initiative that uses non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to store house designs.
In a statement released Monday following its board meeting, Lib Work said it plans to purchase 500 million Japanese yen (around $3.3 million) in Bitcoin to hedge against Japan’s “inflationary trends” and the risks of “holding assets only in cash.”
“Accordingly, our company has decided to adopt a phased approach to acquiring and holding Bitcoin, addressing these risks while preparing for future growth opportunities with overseas partners,” the firm added.
Three-Month Bitcoin Acquisition Push
Lib Work plans to acquire Bitcoin through a series of purchases from cryptocurrency exchanges starting in September and running through December, while also implementing a risk management system, the company said.
At current market prices—around $115,377 per Bitcoin—the $3.3 million investment could secure roughly 28 BTC. This would place Lib Work at 105th on the list of companies with the largest Bitcoin treasuries, surpassing French payment provider BD Multimedia.
This follows just a month after Lib Work introduced an NFT-backed 3D-printed housing initiative, designed to store blueprints on the blockchain and accept Bitcoin as a payment option.
First NFT-Based House Blueprint Released
Lib Work announced on July 25 that one of its house designs, the Lib Earth House Model B, has been issued as an NFT. The initiative is intended to safeguard intellectual property and serve as a digital ownership certificate tied to the physical home.
The NFT stores the house’s ID, history, and ownership details on the blockchain, ensuring that buyers retain exclusive design rights and preventing unauthorized copying of blueprints.
“Since 3D-printed homes rely on digital designs, protecting these design files and managing their licenses is critical,” Lib Work said.
“Blockchain technology and NFTs are now extending beyond the art and music sectors into real estate and intellectual property,” the company added.
NFT Blueprints May Offer Solutions to Construction Challenges
In recent years, the construction sector has grappled with labor shortages and rising material costs, highlighting, in Lib Work’s view, the “limitations of traditional construction methods.”
The company believes that 3D-printing techniques and the digitalization of assets could address some of these challenges by cutting labor, time, and costs, while also opening up new international housing markets for the metaverse and the Web3 era.
“By creating NFTs for 3D printed houses, Lib Work will build new housing distribution mechanisms for investors and users worldwide, actively promoting international brand value and expansion into new markets.”
Lib Work was founded on August 1, 1997, and rebranded in April 2018 to focus on 3D-printed homes.
According to its company profile, the firm primarily sells detached houses and real estate through online platforms and virtual reality experiences.
