As Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) undergo significant price corrections, the two largest publicly traded holders of these cryptocurrencies—Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and Bitmine Immersion—have taken major steps to strengthen their holdings over the past week.
Strategy Resumes Bitcoin Purchases
On Monday, Strategy reported acquiring 1,129 Bitcoin between December 22 and 28 at an average price of about $88,568 each, totaling roughly $108.8 million.
This latest purchase brings Strategy’s Bitcoin portfolio to 672,497 tokens, acquired at an average cost of approximately $74,997 per token, representing a total investment of around $50.44 billion.
Alongside these acquisitions, the company sold $108.8 million in Class A common stock under its at-the-market equity offering, leaving about $11.7 billion still available for future issuance and sale. This follows a week in late November when the company made no new crypto purchases or securities issuances.
Notably, Strategy also paused its buying activity between December 15 and 21, ending a three-week acquisition streak. During that period, it sold common stock worth $747.8 million.
Bitmine Adds to Its Ethereum Stash
Meanwhile, Bitmine Immersion has significantly increased its Ethereum holdings, adding 44,463 ETH in the past week alone. This brings its total holdings to 4,110,525 ETH, representing about 3.41% of Ethereum’s total supply. Of this amount, Bitmine has staked 408,627 ETH.
Tom Lee, Chairman of Fundstrat and a key figure at Bitmine, noted that trading activity tends to slow toward year-end. He stated, “Bitmine added 44,463 ETH in the past week, as we continue to be the largest ‘fresh money’ buyer of ETH in the world.”
Lee attributed recent downward pressure on cryptocurrencies and related equities to year-end tax-loss selling, which typically peaks between December 26 and 30. He emphasized Bitmine’s strategic focus on increasing shareholder value by accretively acquiring ETH per share and optimizing yields and income from its Ethereum holdings.
Market Challenges Persist
Despite these acquisitions, both cryptocurrencies have struggled to reclaim key price levels. BTC is consolidating below $90,000, trading around $87,400, while ETH is just above $2,920. Year-to-date, both ETH and BTC are on track to close 2025 with losses of 12% and 6%, respectively.
Strategy’s stock, trading under the ticker MSTR, is currently around $156 per share—a 71% decline from its all-time high of $540 in November 2024.
At the time of writing, Bitmine’s BMNR stock was trading at $28.40, down about 82% from its all-time high of $161 in July of this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Bitcoin Ethereum Inflows
BeginnerLevel Questions
Q1 What does it mean when we hear about significant inflows into Bitcoin or Ethereum
A It means large amounts of money are being invested into these cryptocurrencies often by institutions or large funds This can signal growing confidence and can sometimes push prices higher
Q2 What are Bitcoin and Ethereum
A Bitcoin is the first and largest cryptocurrency often seen as digital gold Ethereum is a blockchain platform that powers its own cryptocurrency and enables smart contracts and decentralized apps
Q3 Why would a company or fund buy large amounts of BTC or ETH
A They might view them as a longterm investment believe the price will rise or want to diversify their assets beyond traditional stocks and bonds
Q4 What does acquires 1200 BTC or boosts ETH holdings by 44000 mean in practical terms
A It means a specific investor has purchased that many coins For example 1200 BTC is worth tens of millions of dollars showing a major financial commitment
Q5 Is this kind of large purchase good for regular investors
A It can be Large inflows often increase demand which may raise prices It also adds legitimacy However crypto markets remain volatile so its not a guarantee of profit for everyone
Intermediate Advanced Questions
Q6 What is a strategic move in this context
A It typically means the purchase is part of a longterm plan not just shortterm trading The investor likely believes in Bitcoins future value and is allocating a portion of their portfolio to it deliberately
Q7 Who or what is Bitmine and why does their investment matter
A BitMEX is a major cryptocurrency exchange and trading platform When such a known entity significantly increases its ETH holdings it signals strong institutional confidence and can influence market sentiment
Q8 How do large inflows affect the overall market
A They can reduce the available supply for sale increase liquidity and often lead to positive media coverage which can attract more buyers