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Bitcoin tops $77k after $2.5b BTC buy, Trump pledge

Bitcoin rose to US$77,541 on April 22 after Donald Trump pledge to extend the Iran ceasefire indefinitely.

US-listed software firm Strategy disclosed a US$2.54 billion purchase of 34,164 BTC.

Strategy said the buy was its largest since November 2024 and lifted its holdings to 815,061 BTC, bought for US$61.6 billion at an average cost of US$75,527.

Ether rose to 2.1% while BNB gained 1.3% and Solana added 1.8%.

Global crypto funds drew US$1.4 billion last week, led by bitcoin at US$1.12 billion and ether at US$328 million.

🔗 Source: CoinDesk

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Strategy’s bitcoin buying model depends on a risky stock-market premium

  • Strategy works less like a software business and more like a market-driven bitcoin holding company that raises money to buy more bitcoin 1.
  • Its approach relies on selling new shares when the stock trades above the bitcoin value behind each share, then using that cash for more purchases 2.
  • The goal is to lift the bitcoin backing per share, which the company calls “Bitcoin Yield” 1.
  • If that premium fades, the model loses force. New share sales become harder to justify and can dilute existing holders’ bitcoin exposure 2.

Strategy’s model faces competition from a growing set of regulated crypto investment products

  • Strategy offers a high-risk way to track bitcoin, yet more countries are moving toward regulated and cheaper options 1.
  • Japan is aiming for 2028 to allow cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which would let investors buy crypto ETFs through regular brokerage accounts, similar to gold 3.
  • SBI Holdings, a Japanese financial services group, and Nomura Holdings, a Japanese investment bank, are preparing for a possible rule change and exploring crypto ETFs, though no final policy has been set 4.
  • The U.S. and Hong Kong already have these funds. Their simpler structure gives investors a more direct path to crypto assets, which could chip away at Strategy’s appeal 3.

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