Publicly traded companies globally ramped up their direct Bitcoin holdings significantly in the first half of the year, acquiring approximately 245,510 BTC.
This surge effectively doubled the volume previously absorbed by spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and represents a major shift in corporate treasury strategy.
MicroStrategy, the company spearheaded by Michael Saylor, emerged as the dominant force, accounting for nearly 55% of all corporate BTC acquisitions during this period.
Concurrently, inflows into US spot Bitcoin ETFs slowed down compared to earlier months. This indicates a growing corporate preference for holding BTC directly on their balance sheets rather than via ETF shares.
The trend underscores Bitcoin’s increasing recognition within corporate finance as a core strategic reserve asset.
Analysts anticipate this significant movement toward direct custody could have implications for market liquidity characteristics and potentially influence future regulatory considerations surrounding institutional digital asset adoption.