Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan highlights common mispricing in Digital Asset Treasury Companies (DATs). He urges investors to consider valuation beyond simple crypto holdings as these firms navigate complex financial dynamics.

DATs now manage over $130 billion in digital assets, serving as vital links between traditional capital markets and direct cryptocurrency exposure. Their unique position brings new valuation challenges that set them apart from other investment vehicles.

Bitwise Just Revealed 3 Ways to Value DATs: All You Need to Know

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan warns that most DATs are mispriced. While many trade at a discount to their assets, a few can trade at a premium by boosting crypto-per-share.

Hougan’s framework offers investors a clear way to separate the winners from the laggards.

1/ I see a lot of bad analysis of DATs, or digital asset treasury companies. Specifically, I see a lot of bad takes on whether they should trade at, above, or below the value of the assets they hold (their so-called “mNAV”).

Here's how I approach it.

— Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) November 23, 2025

Why Most DATs Trade at a Discount

Hougan highlights three main reasons DATs usually underperform:

• Illiquidity: Investors demand a 5–10% discount if assets aren’t immediately accessible.
• Expenses: Operational costs and executive compensation directly reduce value.

For example, $100 of Bitcoin minus $10 of expenses per share equals a 10% discount.

• Risk: Mistakes, market shifts, or execution errors further lower valuations.

“…most of the reasons they should trade at a discount are certain, and most of the reasons they might trade at a premium are uncertain,” Hougan says.

This means the majority of DATs will underperform relative to their net asset value (mNAV).

How DATs Can Trade at a Premium

Some DATs outperform by increasing crypto-per-share, with Hougan identifying four key strategies:

• Issuing Debt: Borrowing USD to buy crypto can grow per-share holdings if prices rise.
• Lending Crypto: Earning interest compounds the crypto held by the company.
• Using Derivatives: Writing options or similar strategies generates additional assets, though it may limit upside.
• Acquiring Crypto at a Discount: Buying undervalued assets, repurchasing shares, or acquiring cash-flow businesses can increase crypto-per-share efficiently.

The Bitwise executive articulates that scale matters, noting that larger DATs can access debt more easily, lend more crypto, and take advantage of M&A opportunities. Size is a structural advantage.

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Market Differentiation Is Coming

DATs have historically moved together, but Hougan predicts increased divergence.

• Premium DATs: Executing well, growing crypto-per-share, leveraging scale.
• Discount DATs: Struggling with expenses, risk, or small scale.

Investors can use Hougan’s approach, calculating expenses, risk, and growth potential, to determine fair value.

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Investors should also watch:

• Which DATs consistently increase crypto-per-share.
• How scale gives certain DATs a long-term edge.
• Market moves that create opportunities to buy undervalued DATs.

With the market set for more differentiation, understanding Hougan’s framework could separate winners from losers amid a growing digital asset treasury space.

The post Most Crypto Treasury Firms Trade at a Discount — Here’s Why appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Satoshi Nakamoto’s legendary Bitcoin fortune has dropped by an estimated $41 billion, as BTC’s price slid more than 30% from its all-time high.

The pseudonymous creator’s 1.1 million Bitcoin, tracked using the Patoshi mining pattern, fell from $138 billion in October to about $96 billion as of this writing. This sharp decline moved Satoshi from 11th to around 20th among the world’s wealthiest people, now just below Bill Gates.

BTC Price Crashed, But What Happened to Satoshi’s Bitcoin Stash

Arkham Intelligence, a blockchain analytics firm, estimates Satoshi’s Bitcoin using mining analysis and on-chain forensics.

The “Patoshi Pattern,” discovered by Sergio Lerner, identifies more than 22,000 early addresses likely controlled by one entity, widely believed to be Satoshi Nakamoto. These coins, untouched for over a decade, continue to fuel intense speculation.

As of October 6, 2025, when the pioneer crypto established an all-time high of $126,296, Satoshi’s Bitcoin stash was valued at $138.92 billion. However , Bitcoin’s price has since dropped by over 30% to trade for $87,390 as of this writing.

With this drop, Satoshi’s Bitcoin stash has shrunk to $96.129 billion, meaning $42.79 billion of this fortune disappeared in weeks.

If Forbes listed Satoshi among the list of the world’s richest people, the Bitcoin founder would rank just below Bill Gates and right above Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family at position 20.

Despite the vast scale of Satoshi’s holdings, Forbes and other wealth trackers do not count the Bitcoin founder in their official billionaire lists. The reasons include Satoshi’s unverified legal status and the fact that the assets have remained dormant, leaving ownership questions unresolved.

“Forbes does not include Satoshi Nakamoto on our Billionaire rankings because we have not been able to verify whether he or she is a living person, or one person vs. a collective group of people,” the magazine told BeInCrypto.

Ironically, Satoshi’s coins remain among the most visible fortunes due to the blockchain’s transparency.

Some experts suggest Forbes and others should consider including pseudonymous crypto wallets in their lists, even though ownership is anonymous.

Nonetheless, the long-term dormancy has also led to speculation that the fortune could be lost, inaccessible, or deliberately abandoned, an unusual scenario among billionaires.

Quantum Threats and Satoshi’s Secret

Elsewhere, the rise of quantum computing has renewed debate about Satoshi’s future and potential identity. Because quantum computers might one day break early Bitcoin cryptography, some experts propose freezing Satoshi’s coins or forking the network before a possible “Q-Day.” If these risks emerge, the controller of these coins may need to surface.

Important not to scaremonger here about quantum timelines.

Running Shor's algorithm is not the same thing as breaking an actual 256-bit ECC key. You can use Shor's algorithm to factor a number—that will be impressive—but will take a huge degree of scaling and engineering to… https://t.co/juppHGU8wC pic.twitter.com/k38lZvMBLl

— Haseeb ＞|＜ (@hosseeb) November 18, 2025

Nakamoto’s enigma will reach a global audience in 2026 with “Killing Satoshi,” a film exploring the mystery and geopolitical implications of dormant Bitcoin wealth.

Until these coins are moved or declared lost, Satoshi’s fortune remains a symbol of Bitcoin’s origins and its greatest secret.

If Bitcoin surges to $320,000–$370,000, Satoshi could become the world’s richest person. For now, the fortune remains unchanged for over 15 years, highly visible, but untouched.

The post Satoshi Nakamoto Loses $43 Billion as Bitcoin Price Falls Over 30% appeared first on BeInCrypto.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been dissolved, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), despite its mandate being scheduled to continue through July 2026.

Despite the news, the meme coin associated with the Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy-led initiative is up by double digits.

Trump’s DOGE Project Is Over

DOGE began by executive order on Trump’s first day following reelection. Its mission was to dramatically streamline bureaucracy and cut $6.5 trillion in federal spending.

The launch sparked immediate attention, driving Dogecoin prices up over 10% on the announcement and leading to expectations of more crypto use in government.

OPM director Scott Kupor confirmed the dissolution, noting that DOGE doesn’t exist as a centralized entity. The department’s roles have shifted into OPM, while Trump now refers to DOGE in the past tense at public events.

Good editing by @reuters – spliced my full comments across paragraphs 2/3 to create a grabbing headline 🙂 The truth is: DOGE may not have centralized leadership under @USDS. But, the principles of DOGE remain alive and well: de-regulation; eliminating fraud, waste and abuse;…

— Scott Kupor (@skupor) November 23, 2025

The shutdown came eight months before its expected end. Musk left Washington in May. In June, turmoil appeared as staff packed personal items and searched for new homes, while tensions reportedly rose between Trump and Musk.

Despite its aggressive cost-cutting, the department quietly closed its doors.

Vivek Ramaswamy withdrew from the Ohio Senate race to focus on DOGE, but the department faced criticism for a lack of transparency and public accountability throughout its brief existence.

DOGE agents reportedly moved aggressively through agencies, making large personnel cuts and trimming budgets with minimal stakeholder input.

DOGE’s leadership claimed billions in savings, but no concrete, verifiable evidence has shown true cost reductions from these actions. This lack of transparent accounting has left many questioning whether DOGE improved spending efficiency at all.

Until shortly before its closure, DOGE’s official account posted regular updates on contract reductions, highlighting cost-cutting milestones in multiple agencies.

Contracts Update!

Over the last 9 days, agencies terminated and descoped 78 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $1.9B and savings of $335M, including an $616k HHS IT services contract for “social media monitoring platform subscription”, an $191k USAGM broadcasting… pic.twitter.com/83ldxUZ1NY

— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) November 23, 2025

Some former DOGE employees are concerned about possible legal consequences related to their involvement in the department’s aggressive measures.

These concerns reveal persistent questions regarding whether DOGE’s practices crossed legal or ethical lines in its short tenure.

This transition marks a shift from DOGE’s drastic cost-cutting to broader government modernization. Critics have noted that only Congress can officially disband agencies, and DOGE’s scope was always limited to what executive actions could deliver.

Meanwhile, the Department Of Government Efficiency cryptocurrency token continues trading. Data on BeInCrypto shows the token’s price sits at $0.00483, up 13.62% in 24 hours.

The dissolution of DOGE raises questions about how sustainable rapid government restructurings can be, and what role executive actions play in structural reform.

As federal operations absorb former DOGE staff and the administration moves on, the real impact of DOGE’s brief experiment remains uncertain and open to further assessment.

The post DOGE Is Gone: Trump and Musk’s Federal Overhaul Quietly Collapses 8 Months Early appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Over the course of last week, and even before that, the Bitcoin price recorded a concerning pattern. The US trading sessions drove Bitcoin losses, while Asian markets consistently bought the dip, indicating sharp regional divergence.

New reports allege that the government may have orchestrated the sell-off seen during the US sessions as part of its broader investment strategy.

US Buyout Rumors Hit MicroStrategy as Bitcoin Crashes to $85,000

Bitcoin’s recent price decline revealed a sharp split in trading, with US sessions driving sell-offs while Asian traders steadily buy the dip. BeInCrypto reported that American sessions have become the weakest period for Bitcoin prices.

According to Max Keiser, a Bitcoin pioneer, the US government may be eyeing MicroStrategy ($MSTR) and Coinbase ($COIN), potentially capitalizing on Bitcoin’s steep sell-off in November.

RUMOR: The U.S. is contemplating a multibillion investment in $MSTR & $COIN pic.twitter.com/Fd1S4LQFRl

— Max Keiser (@maxkeiser) November 23, 2025

While no evidence confirms the claims, the speculation has spread. Some suggest that this interest drove the government to orchestrate the recent Bitcoin sell-off to the sub-$90,000 range.

Allegedly, US government officials wanted MicroStrategy’s market value to net asset value (mNAV) near 1.0 and therefore manufactured a crash on Bitcoin to compress the premium.

“The US is contemplating a multi-billion-dollar investment in MSTR, and they needed the mNAV to be 1 before it made sense for them to invest, so they manufactured a crash on bitcoin,” wrote Teddy, a popular user on X (Twitter).

Mike Alfred names officials such as President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and allies, citing a multi-step plan to bolster Bitcoin, MSTR, and stablecoins while simultaneously defunding JP Morgan, the Fed, and the US banking cabal to protect US citizens.

Again, there are no official statements or regulatory filings backing these claims. No representatives from the US Treasury, White House, or regulatory agencies have addressed or confirmed the rumors. 

“The administration views it as a defining battle,” Alfred noted.

MicroStrategy’s Index Risk Matters More Than the Noise

Several factors have factually influenced recent price volatility. Strategy Inc. faces the potential impact of MSCI’s proposed index exclusion for companies with more than 50% of their assets in Bitcoin or similar cryptocurrencies. If adopted, this policy could trigger as much as $8.8 billion in passive fund outflows from the stock.

At the same time, shifting outlooks on Fed rate cuts and volatility in bond markets have pressured riskier investments, leading to increased market declines.

Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, rejects attempts to reclassify his company as a fund or trust, emphasizing its ongoing software and active treasury operations.

With MSCI’s January 2026 decision approaching, the company continues to face real business hurdles unrelated to online conspiracy theories.

Speculation on X ties Bitcoin’s crash to imagined government accumulation plans, including:

• Claims that the government will “step in and buy MicroStrategy,” creating a new “failsafe.”
• Theories that crashing Bitcoin allows the US to reach a hypothetical 1 million BTC reserve target.
• Assertions that MicroStrategy could be a long-running “honeypot” leading to eventual asset seizure.

Blockchain data indicates that the US government holds more than 326,000 BTC from prior forfeitures, fueling continued speculation.

MicroStrategy, whose balance sheet is dominated by Bitcoin, dropped more than 60% from its highs, pushing its mNAV to levels below 1 as of November 23.

Even without evidence of a government bid, the rumors highlight several key realities:

• MicroStrategy’s valuation remains tightly correlated with Bitcoin volatility.
• Index-eligibility reviews could materially impact liquidity for $MSTR.
• Social media-driven narratives can influence sentiment during high-volatility periods.

While these remain speculation from some of the industry’s loudest voices, the timing of these posts, amidst one of Bitcoin’s sharpest weekly declines of 2025, may be exacerbating the spread.

The post Did the US Really “Manufacture” the Bitcoin Crash? What to Know About the MSTR Buyout Rumor appeared first on BeInCrypto.