Bitcoin Gets A Ride: Turkey’s Ride-Hailing Giant Allots 20% Of Reserves To BTC

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Turkish ride‑hailing firm Marti announced that it would put 20% of its idle cash into crypto assets. According to the company, Bitcoin will be the first test coin. Soon after, Marti plans to boost that share to 50%.

The move comes as Turkey wrestles with annual inflation rates near 40–50%, which erode the value of lira‑based cash. Marti’s CEO, Oguz Oktem, said that keeping part of its reserves in crypto can help protect against fiat currency risks.

The company stressed that its day‑to‑day operations won’t be disrupted and that only surplus funds will back this new strategy.

Image: Marti

Marti Goes Crypto

Based on reports, all digital holdings will be stored with a regulated custodian offering institutional‑grade compliance. Oktem noted that acquisitions will be held indefinitely and that Marti plans to add Solana and Ethereum to its stack over time.

Martı olarak nakit rezervlerimizin %20’sini dijital kripto varlıklara yatırma kararı aldık. İlk adımda Bitcoin ile başlıyoruz.

Dijital varlıkları uzun vadeli bir değer saklama aracı olarak görüyoruz. Şirket operasyonlarımızda kullanmadığımız nakitimizin, farklı piyasa…

— Oğuz Alper Öktem (@OguzAlperOktem) July 29, 2025

This approach mirrors moves by big names like Strategy, which holds over $10 billion in Bitcoin, and ZOOZ, with roughly $180 million tucked into BTC.

But Marti is the first mobility‑services provider from Turkey to try such a tactic, suggesting other corporates in emerging markets might follow its lead.

Riders And Drivers Hit New Heights

Marti’s latest financial report shows it passed several 2025 targets far ahead of schedule. By June, the company had more than 2 million riders and over 300,000 drivers on its platform.

That marks an 8% jump in drivers and a 13% rise in rider registrations since March. To date, Marti’s users have completed over 35 million rides.

Oktem said these milestones give the firm confidence to take on long‑term hedging strategies without pulling focus from growth.

Going Public

Marti got listed on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2023, marking the first US listing by a Turkish micro‑mobility company.

Traders appeared torn between excitement over digital‑asset diversification and worry about crypto’s notorious volatility. The quick reversal underscores how even savvy investors can get jittery when a non‑financial firm embraces a new kind of risk.

Regulatory Safeguards And Reporting Challenges

According to Marti, using a regulated custodian should limit exposure to hacks and regulatory snags. Yet, under standard accounting rules, any drop in Bitcoin’s market price could trigger impairment charges.

Those write‑downs would hit Marti’s earnings reports, potentially creating earnings swings that conservative shareholders may balk at. The company says it will disclose any updates to its crypto reserve plan in future filings.

Expansion And Future Targets

Marti currently serves major Turkish cities—Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir—with a fleet of e‑mopeds, e‑scooters and e‑bikes managed through its app.

Plans are in place to roll out services in Konya, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Bursa, Mersin and Adana before year‑end.

Featured image from Marti, chart from TradingView

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