Tom Lee’s BitMine doubles down on Ethereum as markets turn red – Details

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-02-20Last updated on 2026-02-20

Abstract

Amidst a declining crypto market, Tom Lee's BitMine Immersion Technologies is executing a long-term strategy by aggressively accumulating Ethereum (ETH). On February 18th, BitMine purchased 20,000 ETH worth $39.8 million, viewing the price drop as an opportunity rather than a risk. This follows a recent acquisition of 45,759 ETH in a single week, bringing the firm to approximately 72% of its goal to control 5% of Ethereum's total supply. While other firms like SharpLink and GameSquare are also building large ETH reserves, their stock prices have fallen significantly, suggesting investor preference for short-term stability over long-term crypto holdings. Concurrently, Spot Ethereum ETFs experienced outflows of $41.8 million, indicating institutional pullback. BitMine's strategy focuses on generating steady income through staking, with 3.04 million ETH currently staked, earning an estimated $176 million annually. The company plans to further boost revenue to $252 million by launching its own MAVAN staking network in early 2026. Ultimately, BitMine prioritizes asset ownership over market timing, aiming to become a key player in the Ethereum ecosystem.

While most of the crypto market is reacting nervously to every small price drop, Tom Lee and his team at BitMine Immersion Technologies are thinking long-term.

On 18 February, Lookonchain data revealed that BitMine bought 20,000 ETH worth about $39.8 million through BitGo. This happened at a time when many retail investors were trying to exit the market as Ethereum’s [ETH] price fell below $2000.

Tom Lee’s BitMine adds more ETH

However, instead of seeing this price drop as a danger sign, Tom Lee is treating it as an opportunity. By buying during weakness, BitMine is showing strong confidence in Ethereum’s future.

This move also positions BitMine as one of the leaders in the “buy-the-dip” strategy during tough market conditions.

In fact, if looked at carefully, one can see that BitMine is very much in line with Michael Saylor and Strategy’s Bitcoin [BTC] buying approach.

BitMine’s recent purchase is not a one-time move either. It is part of a strong and steady buying strategy. Less than a day ago, the company had also revealed that it bought 45,759 ETH in a single week.

Because of this fast pace, Tom Lee’s firm has now reached about 72% of its “Alchemy of 5%” goal, which means it wants to control 5% of Ethereum’s total supply.

Other ETH-focused firms and their performances

BitMine is not alone in using its balance sheet to invest heavily in Ethereum. Other companies like SharpLink and GameSquare are also building large ETH reserves.

SharpLink holds about 864,840 ETH, while GameSquare holds around 15,630 ETH.

Despite this aggressive buying spreee, their stock prices have dropped sharply in recent weeks. For instance, while GAME fell by over 31% over the past month, SBET registered losses of over 33% over the same time period.

This could imply that investors are currently more focused on cash flow and short-term stability, than on long-term crypto holdings.

Here, it is also worth looking at the ETF market. On 18 February, Spot Ethereum ETFs saw outflows of about $41.8 million. This could be a sign that many institutional investors are pulling back.

What does this tell us about BitMine’s ETH strategy?

While most investors are focusing on Ethereum’s price, BitMine is building a steady income system. About 3.04 million ETH is now staked, earning around $176 million each year.

Additionally, through its own MAVAN network which is expected to launch in early 2026, BitMine plans to manage staking itself and boost annual revenue to about $252 million.

All in all, BitMine believes owning the asset matters more than timing the market. If successful, it will become a key part of Ethereum’s network.


Final Summary

  • Reaching over 70% of its 5% supply target in just seven months highlights the speed and scale of its strategy.
  • Too soon to say whether BitMine will stick to this strategy in the long term.

Related Questions

QWhat significant purchase did Tom Lee's BitMine make on February 18th, according to Lookonchain data?

ABitMine bought 20,000 ETH worth about $39.8 million through BitGo.

QWhat is the name of BitMine's goal to control a significant portion of Ethereum's supply, and what percentage of this goal have they reached?

AThe goal is called the 'Alchemy of 5%' and BitMine has reached about 72% of it.

QBesides BitMine, name two other companies mentioned that are also building large Ethereum reserves.

ASharpLink and GameSquare are the two other companies mentioned.

QWhat is the name of BitMine's own network that is expected to launch in early 2026, and what is its purpose?

AThe network is called the MAVAN network, and its purpose is to allow BitMine to manage staking itself to boost annual revenue.

QAccording to the article, what was the total amount of outflows from Spot Ethereum ETFs on February 18th?

ASpot Ethereum ETFs saw outflows of about $41.8 million.

Related Reads

Uncovering the Truth About Agent Commerce, Payments, and Infrastructure

Decoding Agent Commerce, Payments, and Infrastructure: The Reality Over the past year, I've been building infrastructure for the Agent economy, engaging with major players like Stripe, Visa, Coinbase, Google, and dozens of startups. A clear conclusion emerges: true, large-scale demand does not yet exist. Startups face structural challenges. Data points illustrate this gap. Stripe's Agent commerce platform has over 1,000 merchants but only single-digit transacting agents. Visa's Agent payment token requires 9-month KYC and a $250M revenue threshold, accessible only to giants like Amazon. On-chain analysis reveals actual daily Agent transaction volume is around $17k, half of which are test transactions. The article analyzes four potential markets: **1. Agent-to-Merchant (A2M):** Current AI shopping UX is often inferior to traditional e-commerce for visual, comparison-heavy purchases (clothing, electronics). Chat interfaces are a step back. Real merchant interest is defensive "Agent Engine Optimization," fearing future obsolescence, not current demand. Potential exists in high-frequency, low-decision purchases (e.g., food delivery) or simplifying terrible UX (complex checkouts, non-native shoppers), but these require massive consumer distribution channels dominated by giants like DoorDash and Amazon. **2. Agent-to-API (A2A):** Developers already have subscriptions and billing for core APIs (compute, data). The argument for micro-payments via crypto for sub-dollar API calls is addressed by pre-paid balances today. The deeper issue is supplier resistance; major SaaS firms rely on enterprise contracts, not fractional cent pricing. Opportunity lies in the long tail of niche services, but this is a smaller market catering to developers, a historically low-paying group. **3. Agent-to-Agent (A2A):** This remains a theoretical long-term vision with near-zero current transaction volume. It involves unique challenges: discovery, trust, negotiation, dispute resolution. When it materializes, it will require a fundamentally new settlement infrastructure for high-speed, variable-value, multi-party transactions. It's a real long-term bet, but not the current market. **4. Agent-to-Finance (A2F):** This is the only category with existing, paying demand. Integrating AI into financial workflows (trading, portfolio management) is a natural evolution and enables new capabilities like autonomous rebalancing. However, competition favors incumbents with regulatory licenses, compliance infrastructure, and existing client relationships. **The Real Issue:** Why is infrastructure still being built? Incumbents can afford long-term bets, and payment companies see every problem as a nail for their payment hammer. However, payment is just one piece. The core challenge is *coordination*—orchestrating work between Agents and humans, verifying outcomes, and settling results. Payment is part of settlement, which is part of coordination. Companies that solve the coordination problem will subsume payments, not the other way around. Startups lack the infinite runway of giants and must find today's real market, which, after a year of exploration, lies outside these four categories—in an area with real, growing, and underserved activity.

marsbit4h ago

Uncovering the Truth About Agent Commerce, Payments, and Infrastructure

marsbit4h ago

Trading

Spot
Futures

Hot Articles

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of ETH (ETH) are presented below.

活动图片