BitMine Immersion Technologies, a leading Ethereum-focused digital asset treasury firm, has accelerated its cryptocurrency purchase pace, with Chairman Tom Lee citing growing indications that the crypto 'mini-winter' is coming to an end. The company announced on Monday that it purchased 101,627 ether last week, its largest weekly acquisition since December 15, valued at over $230 million at current prices, bringing its total holdings to 4.97 million ETH. This move contrasts with most digital asset treasury companies, which have either slowed down or stopped buying, with the exception of Michael Saylor's bitcoin-focused Strategy. As a result, BitMine remains one of the last major buyers of ether, providing a steady source of demand for ETH.
The company's total crypto and cash holdings now amount to $12.9 billion, comprising its ETH treasury, 199 bitcoin, $1.12 billion in cash, and equity stakes in companies such as Beast Industries and Eightco Holdings. According to Lee, the firm believes that the recent decline in crypto prices is nearing its end, pointing to ETH's rebound and broader market trends.
'Bitmine has maintained an increased pace of ETH purchases over the past four weeks, as our base case is that ETH is in the final stages of the 'mini-crypto winter',' Lee stated. He also noted that ether has risen sharply from its early February lows and has outperformed equities since the start of the Iran conflict on February 28, driven by demand related to tokenization and AI-related uses. Furthermore, BitMine has continued to expand its staking operations, with over 3.3 million ETH staked, generating approximately $221 million in annualized revenue.