By Key Points
- BitMine bought $250M ETH, now holds over 3.3M coins
- Strategy acquired 168 BTC worth $18.8M at $112K average
- Both firms saw stock gains after crypto purchases
- Institutional buying sparks optimism amid price crash
Institutional Crypto Investment is roaring back, even as prices remain volatile. BitMine Immersion Technologies and Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) just made bold moves by purchasing large amounts of crypto during one of the market’s steepest dips this year.
After October’s crash pulled Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) down over 10%, most retail investors froze. But these two corporate giants saw the moment as an opportunity, and acted decisively.
Bitcoin dropped 4.28% over the past week and now trades at $109,524, still well below its pre-crash level of $122,500. Ethereum also dipped 6.5%, sitting at $3,932, nearly $500 down from its pre-crash price of $4,395.
TOM LEE JUST BOUGHT ANOTHER $250M ETH
Three new addresses just bought a total of $250M ETH from Bitgo and Kraken. These accounts match Bitmine’s prior acquisition pattern.
Will Tom Lee ever stop buying? pic.twitter.com/Q7NUyHOD2s
— Arkham (@arkham) October 20, 2025
While others watched the red candles, BitMine went on an Ethereum shopping spree. According to blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence, BitMine acquired $250 million worth of ETH from BitGo and Kraken through three new wallet addresses matching its usual pattern.
The company now holds 203,826 new ETH, bringing its total Ethereum stash to over 3.3 million ETH, worth roughly $13 billion. That’s a whopping 2.7% of Ethereum’s total circulating supply, and it pushes BitMine past the halfway point to its goal of owning 5% of all ETH.
Tom Lee, BitMine’s chairman, said the ETH market is entering a rare phase of undervaluation. He emphasized that recent deleveraging in the market created an “attractive risk/reward setup”, the kind of situation seasoned institutional investors dream about.
This strategic move mirrors other whale behavior we’ve seen recently, such as the massive $1.5B ETH moves by crypto whales after the crash.
Meanwhile, Strategy’s Michael Saylor remains the loudest voice in Bitcoin advocacy — and he continues to back it up with action. The firm bought 168 BTC for $18.8 million, with an average price of $112,051 per BTC.
This brings Strategy’s total holdings to 640,418 BTC, now valued at over $69.3 billion at current market prices. Saylor also noted that Strategy’s Bitcoin yield has hit 26% year-to-date, reinforcing their long-term vision for Bitcoin as a superior store of value.
Strategy has acquired 168 BTC for ~$18.8 million at ~$112,051 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 26.0% YTD 2025. As of 10/19/2025, we hodl 640,418 $BTC acquired for ~$47.40 billion at ~$74,010 per bitcoin. $MSTR $STRC $STRK $STRF $STRD https://t.co/UILBHXkA6a
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) October 20, 2025
Some analysts are echoing Saylor’s sentiment. Even amid market turmoil, Arthur Hayes recently stated it’s a prime time to buy Bitcoin, aligning with this surge in institutional interest.
Market Reacts as Confidence in Crypto Firms Grows
The crypto purchases didn’t just make headlines, they moved markets. Both BitMine and Strategy saw their stock prices rise after announcing their latest acquisitions, signaling strong investor support for their bold strategies.
BitMine’s stock (BMNR) rose 7.92% to close at $53.8, with only a slight 0.19% dip in after-hours trading. Investors seem to back BitMine’s belief in Ethereum’s long-term growth, even during tough times.
BitMine Stock Performance. Source: Google Finance – Techtokens
Similarly, Strategy’s stock (MSTR) jumped 2.3% to $296.6, continuing to gain another 0.27% in after-hours. The firm’s relentless Bitcoin accumulation strategy appears to be winning over traditional shareholders.
The positive market response underscores a crucial point: Institutional Crypto Investment is no longer speculative behavior. It’s a calculated strategy, led by firms with a long-term horizon and deep pockets. These companies aren’t reacting emotionally to crashes, they’re capitalizing on them.
Strategy Stock Performance. Source: Google Finance
Markets are watching to see if continued inflows from firms like BitMine – Techtokens
Meanwhile, not all crypto firms are seeing smooth sailing. In contrast to the strategic gains by BitMine and Strategy, other areas of the ecosystem are facing challenges, like the ongoing investigation into the Paxos $300 trillion minting error, which triggered regulatory crackdowns.
This kind of investment behavior is what sets institutional players apart. They buy when others panic, and they shape market narratives instead of following them.
Why Institutional Crypto Investment Is Driving the Next Cycle
What BitMine and Strategy are doing isn’t just about building reserves. It’s about redefining how institutions interact with the crypto ecosystem.
These massive acquisitions demonstrate that Institutional Crypto Investment is becoming a core strategy for forward-thinking companies. And as more public companies embrace crypto, it fuels a virtuous cycle: more adoption, more liquidity, and ultimately, more stability in a historically volatile space.
Tom Lee believes Ethereum is heading into a “supercycle,” where utility, scalability, and institutional demand will all converge. If that plays out, BitMine’s current positioning could yield massive returns, not just in dollar terms, but also in market influence.
Strategy’s bet on Bitcoin continues to reshape how corporate treasuries think about asset allocation. Saylor’s approach, once seen as extreme, is now influencing CFOs across the globe to reconsider what makes a resilient balance sheet.
At the same time, the crypto industry is still dealing with setbacks. From hacks targeting XRP recovery firms to political pushback like Andrew Cuomo’s anti-crypto stance, not everything is bullish. But even amid these pressures, Institutional Crypto Investment appears to be accelerating, not slowing down.
As new players watch BitMine and Strategy confidently scoop up billions in crypto, the question won’t be “if” others join in, it’ll be “when.”
What is your reaction?
