The strong wave of institutional bitcoin (BTC) adoption has swept through Latin America, as Brazilian fintech company Méliuz became the first firm in the region to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve.
Israel Salmen, Chairman at Méliuz, revealed via an X post on Thursday that the firm has stocked up its reserve with 274.52 BTC, acquired for approximately $28.4 million.
Historic day! Our shareholders have approved, by a wide majority, the transformation of Méliuz into the first Bitcoin Treasury Company listed in Brazil.
And today, we took another step forward:
Acquired 274.52 BTC for US$ 28.4M
Average price: US$ 103,604
Achieving a BTC Yield of… pic.twitter.com/y12JlKwW6N— Israel Salmen (@IsraelSalmen) May 15, 2025
Following the purchase, Méliuz shareholders and investors will have indirect access to the world’s leading crypto asset, as its price movement will affect their stock value.
$28.4M Bitcoin Bet
Before its BTC shopping, the Méliuz board held a meeting to ensure all members were on the same page. A greater number of members and shareholders greenlit the decision, resulting in the firm’s first publicly known BTC purchase.
Méliuz acquired its latest 274.52 BTC at an average price of $103,604. Thus, it achieved an all-time purchase price of $101,703.80 and holds 320.2 BTC.
While Méliuz stock did not move instantly after yesterday’s purchase, it has gone up by over 150% since March 6, when the firm revealed plans to embrace BTC as a strategic reserve asset and went on its first BTC shopping.
Revealing plans for future BTC purchases, the company noted in a recent press release:
“A Bitcoin Treasury Company’s main mission is to accumulate Bitcoin in an accretive way for shareholders, using its cash generation and corporate and capital market structures to increase exposure to the asset over time.”
More Corporate BTC Investors Incoming
Following in Méliuz’s footsteps is a China and U.S.-based e-commerce company, DDC Enterprise Ltd. It has revealed plans to adopt a BTC reserve by acquiring about 5,000 BTC within the next 36 months.
To accomplish this, the firm has enacted an expanded crypto-familiar advisory board and treasury management team. It also plans to start by purchasing 100 BTC; thereafter, it’ll purchase 500 BTC within six months and follow the strategy till its mission is actualized.
Remarkably, both companies have only added to the list of corporate BTC investors. Leading the table is American business intelligence firm, Strategy, which holds over 550,000 BTC, and a U.S.-based BTC miner, MARA Holdings, which has secured over 48,000 BTC.
