Quantum Biopharma adds to crypto holdings

Quantum Biopharma has purchased an additional $1 million worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the Canadian biotechnology company said. 

The buys take Quantum’s total cryptocurrency holdings to approximately $4.5 million, according to a May 19 press release. The biotech company plans to stake a portion of its crypto to generate revenue. 

Quantum expects that holding a treasury of Bitcoin (BTC) and other crypto assets will “provide a return on investment for shareholders and […] provide some hedge against the Canadian dollar,” it said. 

Shares of Quantum’s stock, QNTM, rose by approximately 25% following the announcement, according to data from Google Finance. 

Related: Basel Medical shares down 15% on $1B Bitcoin buying plans

Popular treasury strategy

Quantum is one of several healthcare companies accumulating Bitcoin as corporate crypto treasuries become increasingly popular. 

In March, NASDAQ-listed biopharmaceutical company Atai Life Sciences tipped plans to buy $5 million worth of Bitcoin. 

In a March 20 X post, Atai’s founder, Christian Angermayer, said “Bitcoin should be a part of ANY corporate treasury – especially, in fact, in the biotech sector.”

Angermayer added in a blog post that Bitcoin can help the biotech hedge against inflation and stay solvent during the long periods before drug approvals. 

On May 16, Singapore-based healthcare company Basel Medical Group announced plans to buy $1 billion worth of Bitcoin. 

It said a Bitcoin treasury will support its plans to expand in Asia through acquisitions by giving Basel “one of the strongest balance sheets among Asia-focused healthcare providers.”

Unlike Quantum, however, Basel’s shares dropped significantly on the day of the announcement.

Collectively, corporate treasuries hold more than $83 billion in Bitcoin as of May 19, according to data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET. 

Publicly traded companies are now the largest institutional Bitcoin holders after exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the data shows.

Bitcoin can “potentially be a valuable hedge against growing fiscal deficits, currency debasement, and geopolitical risks” for companies, asset manager Fidelity Digital Assets said in a 2024 report.

Magazine: Danger signs for Bitcoin as retail abandons it to institutions: Sky Wee