Digital Asset Treasuries Face Consolidation in 2026 Amid Bitcoin and Ether Accumulation
Digital asset treasury companies are anticipated to undergo significant consolidation in 2026, as the largest and most well-capitalized entities continue to amass Bitcoin and Ether, leaving smaller firms struggling to keep up. According to Cointelegraph, Pantera Capital has predicted a 'brutal pruning' of digital asset treasuries, with only a few dominant corporate treasuries remaining. The asset manager shared this outlook in a Wednesday X post, suggesting that smaller companies may either be acquired or left behind, except for a few longer-tail token winners.
Throughout this year, the trend has been particularly evident in Bitcoin and Ether treasuries, where the most financially robust players have led acquisitions. BitMine, the largest corporate holder of Ether, has maintained its steady accumulation into the new year. The company recently purchased 35,268 ETH for approximately $104 million, increasing its holdings to 3.48% of the total Ether supply. Since the beginning of the year, BitMine has acquired a total of 92,511 Ether for about $277 million. Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based Trend Research has acquired 41,500 Ether for roughly $126 million in 2026, utilizing decentralized borrowing through the Aave lending protocol, rather than traditional fundraising methods like share sales.
On the Bitcoin front, Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, has emerged as the dominant buyer among publicly listed Bitcoin holders. Last week, Strategy acquired 22,306 Bitcoin for approximately $2.13 billion, bringing its total holdings to 709,715 BTC, purchased for about $53.9 billion at an average price of $75,979 per BTC. Data from Bitcoinquant indicates that corporate Bitcoin treasuries collectively hold around 1.13 million Bitcoin, or roughly 5.4% of the total supply, though these figures can vary based on how treasury companies are defined.
The increasing concentration of Bitcoin and Ether among a few corporate holders raises concerns about the sustainability of smaller treasury companies, particularly those that relied on debt or equity issuance during previous market rallies. At the end of December, crypto treasury firm ETHZilla sold $74.5 million worth of Ether to repay senior secured convertible notes, underscoring the financial pressures faced by less-capitalized players.
