Bitmine snaps up another $90M in ETH as Tom Lee nears 5% supply goal

Bitmine has purchased another 52,203 ETH worth about $90 million, bringing its holdings to 4.7% of Ethereum’s total supply.

According to a company update released on Monday, Bitmine’s latest purchase increases its exposure to Ethereum despite continued weakness in the broader crypto market and repeated rejections at key price levels for the asset.

The company said its balance sheet now includes approximately $10.7 billion in crypto assets, cash, marketable securities, and strategic investments, including stakes in Eightco and Beast Industries. With the latest acquisition completed, Bitmine remains one of the largest corporate holders of Ethereum.

Commenting on the company’s outlook, Bitmine chairman Tom Lee said he expects tokenization and advances in artificial intelligence to drive future demand for blockchain networks and digital assets. Lee also reiterated his view that the crypto market remains in the early stages of what he previously described as a “crypto spring.”

Ethereum purchases continue as holdings approach target

Less than a year after launching its Ethereum treasury strategy, Bitmine has accumulated enough ETH to control 4.7% of the asset’s supply, according to the company. The latest purchase leaves the firm roughly 94% of the way toward its publicly stated goal of holding 5% of all Ethereum.

Recent fundraising efforts have helped finance that expansion. Earlier, crypto.news reported that Bitmine’s board approved a cash dividend of $0.1056 per share for holders of its 9.50% Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BMNP.

The company said the dividend will be paid on July 10 to shareholders of record as of June 30.

Introduced in June to support the Ethereum treasury business, the preferred stock offering consisted of 3.5 million shares sold at $80 each on June 10. Bitmine reported net proceeds of approximately $273.8 million after fees and expenses.

At the time of the offering, Lee stated that the proceeds would be used to fund additional Ethereum purchases, while income generated from staking activities would help cover dividend payments.

Staking revenue rises despite unrealized losses

While Bitmine remains underwater on its overall Ethereum position, the company reported that staking has become a growing source of revenue.

According to Bitmine, 4,718,677 ETH valued at more than $8.2 billion at current prices has already been staked. Based on current yields, the company said annualized staking revenue has increased to approximately $223 million.

Providing additional projections, Lee stated that annualized staking rewards could rise to about $268 million once all of Bitmine’s Ethereum is fully staked through MAVAN and its staking partners. He attributed the estimate to a 2.73% seven-day BMNR yield.

The latest figures represent an increase from Lee’s earlier estimate of roughly $219 million in annualized staking rewards, which he discussed when the preferred stock offering was announced.

Bitmine’s accumulation strategy continues to place it among the largest corporate crypto holders. According to the company, only Michael Saylor’s Strategy currently holds a larger overall cryptocurrency treasury.

Strategy disclosed another Bitcoin purchase this week, adding 520 BTC to its reserves, although the acquisition was significantly smaller in dollar terms than Bitmine’s latest Ethereum buy.