Why Big Tech is Saying “No Thanks” to Bitcoin: The Shocking Truth! 😱

Bitcoin treasury strategy, explained

So, when a company decides to hold Bitcoin on its balance sheet, they call it a corporate Bitcoin treasury. You know, because just having cash and boring old assets isn’t enough anymore. Who needs stability when you can have a digital rollercoaster ride? 🎢

Now, this whole idea of swapping cash for cryptocurrency is like a new trend in corporate finance. It’s been all over the media, like a celebrity scandal. And let me tell you, it’s sparked more debates than a family dinner on Thanksgiving.

More and more companies are thinking about moving their money from safe assets to this wild digital asset. The potential upside? Oh, it’s attractive! Bulls are predicting prices anywhere from $130,000 to $1.5 million. Sounds great, right? Until you realize it’s like betting on a horse that might just run off the track. 🐎💨

But here’s the kicker: diving into crypto exposes companies to a ton of risk. Traditional treasury management is all about keeping your capital safe. Bitcoin? It’s like inviting a tornado into your living room. 🌪️

Matthew Sigel from VanEck warns that companies like Metaplanet, which are aggressively buying Bitcoin, might be stepping into a world of hurt. “Once you’re trading at net asset value, shareholder dilution is no longer strategic,” he says. “It’s erosion.” Sounds like a bad haircut, doesn’t it?

Basically, if a company’s stock isn’t trading at a premium anymore, issuing more shares to buy Bitcoin just dilutes the value. Investors are going to raise their eyebrows, and not in a good way.

So, how companies manage their capital reserves directly impacts their value and ability to weather economic storms. For public companies, this means they need to get shareholder approval to even think about a Bitcoin treasury. And guess what? Big names like Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft have all thrown this idea out the window. 🚪

The Meta, Amazon and Microsoft Bitcoin treasury stance

So, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta shareholders have overwhelmingly said “no thanks” to the idea of Bitcoin reserves. At the Meta 2025 annual shareholder meeting, over 90% of shareholders voted against the Bitcoin treasury proposal. Talk about a decisive rejection! Ethan Peck from the National Center for Public Policy Research introduced the idea of converting part of their $72 billion cash stash into Bitcoin. Spoiler alert: it didn’t go well.

Check out the voting results:

Here’s the breakdown:

• For (3,916,871 votes): That’s the number of shareholders who thought adding Bitcoin was a good idea. Bless their hearts.
• Against (4,980,828,562 votes): These folks voted against it. That’s a lot of “no” votes. Like, a staggering amount.
• Abstentions (8,857,588 votes): These people couldn’t be bothered to vote. Their votes don’t count, but hey, they tried.
• Broker non-votes (204,772,865 votes): Shares held by brokers for clients who didn’t give voting instructions. It’s like saying, “I don’t care, just do whatever.”

So, nearly 5 billion votes against the proposal? Ouch! That’s a clear message: Meta shareholders are not interested in adding Bitcoin to their balance sheet.

Bitcoin enthusiasts are out there shouting about the potential returns because of Bitcoin’s fixed supply. At the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, big names like Matt Cole, CEO of Strive Asset Management, were practically begging Mark Zuckerberg to support the Bitcoin proposal. “You’ve named your goat Bitcoin. Now, take step two and adopt a bold corporate bitcoin treasury strategy,” he said. I mean, who wouldn’t want to take advice from a guy who names goats? 🐐

But the vote didn’t even get close to 1% support. 4.98 billion shares against, and only 3.9 million in favor. The board was like, “Nah, we’re good.”

“While we’re not saying cryptocurrency investments are bad, we think this assessment is unnecessary,” said Meta’s Board. Classic corporate speak for “we’re not touching that with a ten-foot pole.”

This puts Meta in the same boat as Amazon and Microsoft, who also said “nope” to Bitcoin reserves. All three tech giants are avoiding the crypto chaos and sticking to what they know: stability. 🛑

But who knows? Maybe in the future, as regulations change, they might reconsider. Or maybe they’ll just keep playing it safe. 🤷‍♂️

Did you know? Meta is looking into integrating stablecoin payments. So, while Bitcoin is a no-go, you might see stablecoins like Tether’s USDt popping up on their platforms. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more complicated! 💸

Why companies reject Bitcoin

There are a few reasons why Meta’s board and shareholders said “no thanks” to Bitcoin, and they’re pretty valid.

• Volatility concerns: Bitcoin is like that unpredictable friend who shows up late and drunk. It’s volatile, and adding it to balance sheets could lead to wild swings in earnings. Traditional investors are not fans of uncertainty.
• Regulatory uncertainty: Cryptocurrency is like the wild west. The rules are always changing, and that adds a layer of risk for public companies. Who wants to deal with that headache?
• Business focus: Shareholders want predictability and stability. With everything changing so fast in tech and crypto, they’d rather focus on their core business than get distracted by speculative assets.
• Fiduciary responsibility: Corporations have to balance innovation with their duty to shareholders. Bitcoin is seen as speculative, and boards are wary of breaching their duty. They’d rather play it safe.

Did you know? Strategy is often praised for its corporate Bitcoin treasury. Their stock has skyrocketed since 2020, outpacing big names like Nvidia and Tesla. But hey, they’re a smaller firm looking to boost their stock price. Good luck with that!

Strategy is the Bitcoin outlier

Strategy has amassed over 500,000 BTC since 2020, costing them over $33 billion. That’s a lot of dough! 💰

Originally, they were a business intelligence service, but now they’re seen as a Bitcoin proxy. Talk about a pivot!

Michael Saylor, the chairman, is all about the Bitcoin acquisition strategy now. They’ve even made it into the Nasdaq 100. Not too shabby!

With over 2% of Bitcoin’s total supply, they’re getting a lot of media attention. Their stock price has soared 3,180% in five years. That’s like winning the lottery! 🎉 But it also means they’re tied to Bitcoin’s price swings, which can be a wild ride.

Regardless, this shows the potential upside of adopting a Bitcoin treasury. But most companies are too chicken to take that risk.

Did you know? As of May 2025, only 1.4 million BTC are left to be mined. If big companies decide to stock up on Bitcoin, we could see a serious price spike. Just saying!

The future of Bitcoin corporate treasuries

Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft are sticking to their core missions for now. They’re waiting for clearer regulations and more predictable risks. Until then, they’re not making any bold moves.

Bitcoin treasuries are still the exception, not the rule. The rejection from Meta shows that this concept is still more hype than reality. Even the innovators are avoiding the volatility and distraction, despite the potential payoffs.

The core principles of corporate treasury management—risk minimization, liquidity assurance, and alignment with operational needs—are at odds with the high-risk, high-volatility nature of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin’s price can swing by over 50% in just a few months. That’s not something most CFOs want to deal with.

Tech giants are focusing on cash equivalents and diversified holdings. Even among the innovators, crypto exposure is seen as more of a liability than a selling point. The collapses of several crypto-adjacent companies in 2024 have only reinforced this caution.

Until we have clearer regulations and standards, Bitcoin treasuries will remain a rarity.

In the short term, Bitcoin advocates hoping for mass corporate adoption might be in for a long wait. The risk-reward profile just doesn’t align with how CFOs are judged: on stability, not speculation.