Acurx Pharmaceuticals to add up to $1 million in bitcoin for treasury reserve, following MicroStrategy’s playbook

The board of Acurx Prescribed drugs on Wednesday permitted the acquisition of as much as $1 million in bitcoin to carry as a treasury reserve asset.

Shares of the corporate have been final decrease by greater than 6% after spiking about 8% in premarket buying and selling.

“As demand for bitcoin grows, and so does its acceptance as a significant and first asset class, we consider that bitcoin will function a powerful treasury reserve asset for money not wanted over the following 12 to 18 months,” CEO David P. Luci mentioned in an announcement.

“Its restricted provide and inflation-resistant traits present a useful retailer of worth,” he added. “This new treasury technique is a finance technique and has no affect on our overarching drug improvement plans.”

The transfer takes a web page out of MicroStrategy’s playbook. In 2020, the enterprise software program firm famously adopted bitcoin as its major treasury reserve asset, buying 21,454 bitcoins at roughly $11,653 every, simply earlier than the bull run a number of months later. MicroStrategy has aggressively purchased extra bitcoin since then, as lately as this week, bringing its complete to 331,200 bitcoins. Its inventory is up greater than 500% for 2024.

Bitcoin adoption by company treasurys is a crucial however slow-growing catalyst for crypto. The cryptocurrency is buying and selling at all-time highs, and it’s extensively anticipated to double by the tip of 2025 because of President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of a extra crypto-friendly surroundings for companies.

With that regulatory overhang anticipated to elevate subsequent 12 months, buyers are retaining a watchful eye for the following huge firm to start shopping for bitcoin. Tesla and Block adopted MicroStrategy in 2021. One other smaller firm, Semler Scientific, did so this 12 months.

On an X areas occasion Tuesday night, MicroStrategy Chairman and bitcoin evangelist Michael Saylor mentioned he plans to pitch the board of Microsoft in December on his bitcoin treasury technique.

The theme has broadened to the federal government degree this 12 months, with Sen. Cynthia Lummis proposing a nationwide strategic bitcoin reserve this summer season. Trump equally made point out of a possible nationwide bitcoin stockpile in the identical week.

The value of bitcoin is up 122% this 12 months.