AI startup Genius Group picks Bitcoin as main treasury asset

Bitcoin as an institutional reserve asset gained more traction as a Singapore-based AI company took a page from MicroStrategy’s book.

Per a press statement, publicly-traded artificial intelligence firm Genius Group will onboard Bitcoin (BTC) as its main treasury holding and immediately purchase $120 million worth of the world’s leading cryptocurrency.

Genius Group also said it would hold 90% of its current and future treasury value in Bitcoin, adding to its initial 1,380 token buy plan disclosed on Nov. 12. The startup’s GNS shares surged 50% during pre-market trading, according to Yahoo Finance. GNS prices shook off gains by publishing time, but the shares still traded higher than their previous close.

At least three institutional players have now adopted the BTC accumulation strategy pioneered by Michael Saylor’s software behemoth MicroStrategy. Firms like Tokyo’s Metaplanet, medical tech provider Semler Scientific, and now Genius announced BTC purchasing plans inspired by Saylor’s company.

All three companies hold over 1,000 BTC. The trio were leagues away from MicroStrategy’s 279,420 Bitcoin trove valued at over $24 billion due to recent highs.

We believe that with our Bitcoin-first strategy, we will be among the first NYSE American listed companies to fully embrace Microstrategy’s Bitcoin strategy for the benefit of our shareholders.

Thomas Power, Genius Group director

Stocking most of its treasury with BTC was also revealed shortly after Genius reshuffled its top decision-makers. Genius added multiple crypto-savvy board members as the firm paid more attention to web3 and blockchain technology.