Trump Media has made a big impact by introducing cryptocurrency to tech and finance circles. Recently, the company closed a big private placement, which brought in approximately $2.44 billion from almost 50 institutions all over the world. This influx of capital will be used in part to establish one of the largest Bitcoin (BTC) treasuries of any publicly traded U.S. company.
Trump Media Embraces Bitcoin to Fuel Expansion Plans
Thanks to the $1.44 billion raised by stock sales and the $1 billion from convertible notes, Trump Media holds more than $3 billion in liquid assets. Devin Nunes, the company’s CEO, pointed out that the idea behind this investment is to do business within an “America First” economy.
The addition of BTC to their balance sheet, alongside their cash and other investments, is significant. It is a growing trend among some forward-thinking firms to hedge against inflation and diversify their corporate treasuries using digital assets. Crypto.com and Anchorage Digital will both handle storing Trump Media’s Bitcoin securely.
Meta Rejects BTC Push
While Trump Media dedicates large funds to BTC, some of the other leading tech companies have not made the same move. A recent event saw Meta, which owns Facebook, face a vote from its shareholders to decide if part of its $72 billion cash reserves should be invested in Bitcoin.
The proposal came from a shareholder of the National Center for Public Policy Research, and it was almost universally rejected. Fewer than 0.1% of votes were in favor of adopting BTC, which suggests that some major companies are still cautious about the asset.
The unsuccessful Meta initiative followed calls from Matt Cole, CEO of Strive Asset Management, a well-known crypto supporter, who urged the Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, to adopt holding Bitcoin as a company treasury. Some analysts thought Meta might have been the first U.S. mega-cap business to accept Bitcoin, which could have influenced others.
Nevertheless, the resistance shows that companies mostly rely on traditional finance, especially in situations where the risks to shareholders are high. Efforts to convince Microsoft and Amazon to do the same have not worked either, proving that adding Bitcoin to finance is still difficult.
Panama Explores BTC for Canal Fees and Citywide Payments
On another note, cryptocurrency could gain new adoption among governments and companies handling global logistics, instead of financial institutions. Mayor Mayer Mizrachi, who was participating in the recent Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, brought up the prospect of allowing cargo ships to pay Panama Canal fees in Bitcoin.
He mentioned that crypto users could get priority service. Though it was an informal concept, it sparked a lot of interest and discussion among people because the Canal follows a strict first-come, first-served approach.
The proposal raises questions about how Bitcoin may work in practice for a huge transaction like this one. The Panama Canal brings in about $5 billion annually and processes over 10,000 ships that handle about 5% of the world’s sea trade.
Using a payment system as volatile as BTC could create risks for both the business and its finances operation. As an example, BTC’s fluctuations can lead to the cost of a transit changing a lot from day to day.
The authorities would need an automated system that can quickly exchange Bitcoin into fiat currency like U.S. dollars to balance transactions. Nevertheless, it shows that some governments and local officials are now more willing to incorporate crypto into regular aspects of the economy.
Mizrachi also raises the possibility that residents can settle their tax, fine and permit bills using digital coins like BTC, Ether or USDC. In addition, he mentioned that Panama City could have its very own BTC reserve.
Though these steps have not yet been declared official policies, they show that digital assets are now being looked at as useful for governing and commercial activities, not only for investment or trading purposes.
