Bitcoin whales like Tesla and MicroStrategy are all down on their investments today after the leading cryptocurrency plummeted again overnight, hitting a low of $26,350.
The last time the leading crypto was this cheap was in December 2020, according to CoinMarketCap.
Prices have since risen sum and Bitcoin is now trading at $28,387.
Despite the minor rise, this effectively wipes out all of the gains made by Tesla’s Bitcoin bet.
In early 2021, his electric car company Tesla invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin at an average purchase price of $31,620. Tesla then sold off 10% of its Bitcoin holdings to test liquidity, earning a tidy profit, or “positive impact,” of $101 million just over a month later, according to an SEC filing.
Musk didn’t sell any more Bitcoin throughout 2021’s wild bull run, despite prices hitting an all-time high of $68,789.63 on November 10, 2021.
Now, Bitcoin’s current price is roughly 10% lower than the price Tesla paid for it. The company has 42,000 Bitcoin left on its balance sheet, worth about $1.19 billion.
Michael Saylor’s Microstrategy is also underwater today following the volatile price action.
Since August 2020, his cloud software company has bought 129,218 Bitcoin at an average price of $30,200 a coin. At that price, Microstrategy’s Bitcoin holdings are worth $3.9 billion.
Today’s Bitcoin crash means Saylor’s Bitcoins are currently worth $3.6 billion.
Tesla, Microstrategy stocks react
Contrary to the maximalist doctrine that Bitcoin is a store of value akin to “digital gold,” the currency has actually been trading more like a tech stock, according to a report published on April 18 by Arcane Research.
Today, MicroStrategy’s stock is also plummeting. At today’s price of $148, MicroStrategy shares are currently down 11.5%.
Tesla stock dropped 4% overnight and currently trades for $734.
Elsewhere, crypto-adjacent companies like Coinbase, PayPal, and Robinhood have also dropped 23%, 3%, and less than 1%, respectively.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.
The best of Decrypt straight to your inbox.
Get the top stories curated daily, weekly roundups & deep dives straight to your inbox.
Source: https://decrypt.co/100188/crypto-whales-tesla-microstrategy-underwater-bitcoin-crashes-2020-prices
