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Tesla, led by Elon Musk, has stirred speculation in the cryptocurrency world by transferring nearly all of its bitcoin holdings—valued at approximately $765 million—to unknown wallets.
This action raises questions about whether the electric vehicle manufacturer is planning to sell its bitcoin.
On Tuesday, wallets associated with Tesla moved more than 11,500 bitcoin, leaving only about $6.65 in its original wallets, according to data from crypto analytics firm Arkham Intelligence.
The wallets receiving the transferred bitcoin appear to be new and are not linked to any known cryptocurrency exchanges, which does not immediately suggest a plan to liquidate these assets.
Tesla ranks as the fourth-largest corporate holder of bitcoin among publicly traded companies in the US, following MicroStrategy and the bitcoin mining firms MARA Holdings and Riot Platforms.
The company first acquired $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin in February 2021, at one point owning as much as $2.5 billion.
However, in early 2022, Tesla sold off approximately 75% of its holdings at a loss, capitalizing on market highs in November 2021 when bitcoin reached an all-time price of about $69,000.
At the time of its significant sell-off, bitcoin was valued around $24,000.
In July 2022, when Arkham Intelligence launched its bitcoin wallet tracking feature, Tesla’s remaining holdings were reported to consist of roughly 11,509 bitcoin, worth around $770 million.
Despite previously announcing intentions to accept bitcoin as payment for its vehicles, Tesla retracted this plan shortly after due to concerns regarding the environmental impact of bitcoin mining.
Musk has expressed a complex relationship with bitcoin, stating in a July YouTube interview that while he sees merit in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, his primary affection lies with Dogecoin (DOGE).
He has suggested that Tesla would reconsider accepting bitcoin for car purchases if a majority of bitcoin mining transitioned to renewable energy sources; however, the company has yet to resume bitcoin payments.
As the situation unfolds, the transfer of Tesla’s bitcoin has drawn considerable attention and analysis, leaving investors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts pondering the implications of Musk’s latest moves in the volatile crypto market.
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