Corporates investing in crypto

More operating companies are actively allocating portions of their treasury to digital assets. We began to see meaningful examples of this dynamic in 2020, and it continues despite the fluctuations and turbulence in the markets. One early example was MicroStrategy Inc., which in 2020 announced that it had made more than $1B in bitcoin purchases and then continued to acquire more in subsequent years. They characterized it as an investment that would “provide the opportunity for better returns and preserve the value of our capital over time compared to holding cash.”¹ Since then, and as of the date of this publication, they have amassed more than 226,000 bitcoin. Some companies have followed suit, and others may now be wondering how to invest in bitcoin and other digital assets.² There are a variety of reasons for adding digital assets to a company’s balance sheet, whether it’s seeking asymmetric risk return observed over previous years or as a natural hedge against fluctuating fiat currencies; it’s part of a corporate strategy to embrace modern, open technologies; or it’s a complement to an operational strategy that includes accepting digital assets as payments.

This paper focuses largely on bitcoin investments, considering recent increased corporate investments in bitcoin and its common reference as a store of value. It should be noted that there are numerous types of digital assets, each having its own unique characteristics. Ether (ETH) is also viewed as a store of value, with the added use of enabling transactions on Ethereum-based decentralized applications. These contrast with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins, which are digital representations of fiat currency. Their value is derived from the actual currency in circulation, and they are issued by a central bank. Equity and derivative tokens are digital assets whose value may represent actual corporate stock or a legal right to another asset or financial instrument. Some digital assets have additional attributes, such as voting rights on a protocol, or they may provide a level of access for participation in a decentralized application. These may provide some commercial or economic benefit to the holder. Prior to investing in any digital asset, it is important to understand the specific terms, conditions, and characteristics of the investment since those will affect accounting, tax, risk, controls, and legal considerations, among others.

What follows here, then, is some guidance on what undergirds any corporate decision to invest in digital assets like bitcoin. In addition, we set out the ongoing actions that teams across a company should undertake to monitor and go forward with a long-term investment. In other words, our goal is to answer the question “How would you do that?” rather than “Why do it?”

Before proceeding, we want to make one point absolutely clear: There is no playbook or foolproof approach for these kinds of bold moves. There is only painstaking effort, disciplined analysis, fresh thinking and rethinking, dedicated collaboration across competencies, and, above all, rigorous execution. What follows, then, is not a step-by-step prescription but instead a high-level guided tour of the wide terrain companies may cover when they are considering investing in bitcoin. Given the many variables and different characteristics of digital assets, the provisions presented in this POV are not necessarily pertinent or germane to all digital assets. Nonetheless, the broad methodology and considerations set out here may apply to multiple corporate investment scenarios in select digital assets.

The high-level view from corporate treasury

Generally, the main purpose of the treasury function is risk management and the preservation of capital. When deciding and executing on digital assets for investment and operational purposes, digital assets governance risk can be key to all activities. More than creating a policy, governance typically includes understanding the types of investment the company is making and where this alternative investment vehicle—digital assets like bitcoin—fits within the broader investment strategy. Leaders should also be comfortable with the characteristics and nature of the vehicle (more on this below in the discussion on controls). Given that it’s a financial investment, it’s important that the treasurer, CRO, CEO, CTO, CFO, and board of directors all have a clear assessment and understanding of the asset’s risk profile, the company’s tolerance for risk, and how these two may align or diverge. Ultimately, governance is about monitoring and assuring that the conditions and requirements set by the organization are maintained.

Tolerance for risk, depending on the stake and type of digital asset, may have to be periodically adjusted. Risk tolerance takes several forms and requires decisions on issues such as the following:

• What percentage of the cash on hand, after accounting for operating costs, will be assigned to alternative investments in digital assets?
• What range of risk is the company comfortable with? Risk is a constantly moving target, and adjustments within an agreed-upon band of risk tolerance may need to be made frequently.
• With digital assets, treasury should consider not just the investment side but also how these assets may figure into daily operations such as payments, debt management, raising funds, IPOs, etc.

There are other key considerations a treasurer should evaluate when adding digital assets to the company’s operations. Understanding of the underlying features tied to specific digital assets is important in helping effectively utilize and deploy the asset to its full potential while also implementing a robust control structure to help ensure proper usage. Control and storage are often imperative elements for an organization, whether they intend to manage the asset themselves (self-custody), leverage a third-party custodian, or take a hybrid approach. The storage decision can allow an organization to determine its exposure to counterparty risk, as each option varies to the control and ownership of the asset. The failures of certain banks and digital asset exchanges have emphasized the importance of understanding exposures held at external platforms and at institutions. The importance of risk management applies when managing digital assets that are spread across multiple wallets, exchanges, and custodians.

With emerging technologies, a holistic view is likely needed to help an organization review its positions and liquidity across its wallets and exchanges due to the asset’s volatile nature when compared to traditional fiat. New technology and vendors have emerged focused on reporting, management, transactional activity, and utilization of digital assets within a single platform. Multiple vendors have built out integrations with leading treasury management systems to enable real-time visibility for liquidity and reporting that supports the treasury function. Treasuries that adopt digital assets should have a risk assessment framework to identify where exposures exist, how the assets are managed, and if the system has adequate controls in place.

Points outlined below highlight key factors for corporates to consider for treasury:

• Overall purpose, function, and how digital assets will be utilized (payments, investments, staking, etc.)
• Establishment of internal and external controls that comply with digital asset specific policies to properly manage digital assets across business units.
• Ability to integrate digital assets into key treasury operations to fulfill the organization’s objectives and strategy.

How can treasury be more strategic in using these assets to advance efficiencies in payroll, vendor payment, trade, customer interactions, and cross-border transactions with subsidiaries and others? (Below, there is more on this last point when we discuss accounting and tax implications as well as controls.) A first and final refrain for treasury should be that the governance of digital assets is a living and adaptive process. It can constantly follow and should adjust to market, regulatory, and risk realities.