News Roundup — Bitcoin treasury companies acquire record 159,107 BTC in Q2

Major news stories this week;

1. Bitcoin treasury companies acquire record 159,107 BTC in Q2
2. Circle's USDC Is Being Adopted by Jack Ma Payment Giant Ant Group
3. Strategy buys $472.5M worth of bitcoins last week
4. Emirates airline signs MoU with Crypto.com to enable crypto payments
5. South Korea plans to lift crypto venture business restrictions

Story Summaries;

1. Corporate Bitcoin holdings hit a record in Q2 2025, with companies acquiring 159,107 BTC—raising total holdings to over 847,000 BTC and pushing their combined value to $91 billion. Leading the surge is Strategy with 597,325 BTC, while newcomers like Metaplanet and GameStop also joined, highlighting accelerating institutional adoption.
2. Ant Group, the Chinese payments giant behind Alipay, is reportedly planning to integrate Circle’s USDC stablecoin into its blockchain platform, focusing on global payments efficiency pending full U.S. regulatory compliance. This move reflects Circle’s growing dominance over Tether, as it gains regulatory approvals and adoption momentum, including a recent $46 billion valuation post-IPO.
3. Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) purchased 4,225 BTC for $472.5 million between July 7 and 13, bringing its total holdings to 601,550 BTC acquired for $42.87 billion. The purchase was funded through at-the-market sales of its STRK, STRF, and STRD securities.
4. Emirates airline signed an MoU with Crypto.com to integrate crypto payments via Crypto.com Pay by Q4 2025, allowing customers to transact in crypto with instant AED conversion and no crypto held by Emirates. The partnership supports Dubai’s broader strategy to lead in digital finance, with plans for promotional campaigns and future expansion into the travel sector.
5. South Korea plans to lift restrictions preventing crypto firms from qualifying as venture companies, granting them access to tax breaks and financial support as part of a broader effort to legitimize and grow the digital asset industry. The move aligns with the government’s crypto-friendly stance under President Lee Jae-myung and follows new regulations and paused CBDC trials aimed at refining stablecoin policy.

And that’s all for last week’s news! Wishing you a great week ahead!