Cardano Foundation Stuns Market: 15% of $659M Portfolio Held in Bitcoin
Bullish on BTC—even the 'Ethereum killers' can't resist the OG crypto.
The Bitcoin Bet: Cardano's foundation just revealed its treasury holds a whopping 15% in Bitcoin—proving even altcoin maximalists hedge with digital gold. The $659M disclosure comes as ADA struggles to reclaim its 2021 highs, while BTC flirts with new ATHs.
Portfolio Truth Serum: Turns out 'peer-reviewed' blockchain research doesn't preclude FOMO. The foundation's stash—worth ~$99M in BTC—outpaces most corporate treasuries' crypto allocations. Meanwhile, traditional finance still debates 'blockchain, not Bitcoin' like it's 2017.
Cynical Take: Nothing boosts a foundation's credibility like parking funds in an asset that actually appreciates. ADA's 80%+ drawdown from ATH? Just 'volatility.' Bitcoin's 10,000%+ decade-long rally? 'Too risky.' Priorities.
ADA ▲8.54% as expected. But whispers of swapping more ADA for
BTC ▲4.05% and stables are heating up.
A proposal by Charles Hoskinson to convert $100 million in ADA to Bitcoin and stablecoins could shake things up. The goal is to boost Cardano’s weak DeFi game. But as of now, nobody knows if that proposal’s been acted on or shelved.
CardanoPriceMarket CapADA$23.80B24h7d30d1yAll time
Cardano With More Bitcoin in the Treasury: Hedge or Power Move
According to cardano Foundation’s 2024 Financial Insights Report, they ended the year with $659 million in total assets. A massive 76.7% is parked in ADA, no surprise here, but what raised eyebrows is the 14.9% allocation to Bitcoin, totalling around $98 million.
Another 8.3% sits in cash and equivalents for liquidity. This is no symbolic MOVE but a real bet on Bitcoin, possibly as a hedge against ADA’s price swings or just a diversification move.
CARDANO ALLOCATES 15% OF $659M TO BTC
According to on-chain data from its 2024 Financial Report, the Foundation held 76.7% in $ADA, 14.9% in $BTC, and 8.3% in cash.
$22.1M was allocated to ecosystem growth and $7.1M to internal operations. pic.twitter.com/Yk0reDUs4b
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) July 10, 2025
What is interesting is the timing. Back in late 2024, Cardano watchers spotted a shift toward bitcoin holdings, but that was only about $50 million. Now, the BTC stack has nearly doubled. Cardano’s treasury isn’t just sitting idle.
Alongside this, they spent $22.1 million in 2024 on ecosystem growth. Adoption, education, and general expansion, and another $7,1 million on Core ops like governance and legal work.
They’re also making good money just from staking. 17.1 million ADA earned in 2024 by holding 599,2 million ADA. That is a solid yield and shows the Foundation isn’t just HODLing.
$ADA is sending
pic.twitter.com/c44tC1zg5n
— Comet (@Cometdefi) July 10, 2025
The BTC move fits a growing trend among major crypto players treating Bitcoin as “digital gold”. While this move can anger some hardcore ADA maxis, it looks like Cardano’s top brass are playing long-term chess.
Hoskinson’s $100 Million Flip Plan: Bold or Blunder
In June 2025, Charles Hoskinson dropped a bomb with a proposal to flip $100 million worth of ADA into a mix of Bitcoin and stablecoins like USDA, USDM, and iUSD. The reason behind this proposal is that Cardano’s DeFi scene is lagging, and its stablecoin to TVL ratio sits below 10%.
With just $33 million in stables vs a $330 million total value locked. Compare that to ethereum at 190% and Solana at 110%, and the gap becomes hard to ignore.
Charles Hoskinson has proposed a $100M ecosystem boost for Cardano.
The idea:
• Mint stablecoins (USDM, USDA, iUSD)
• Generate treasury yield
• Seed long-term DeFi growth
Should Cardano operate like a sovereign wealth fund?
Full breakdown: https://t.co/rhae3WDah4 pic.twitter.com/qpFKCmsITi
— TapTools (@TapTools) June 16, 2025
Hoskinson wants to shift that narrative fast. He suggested forming a sovereign-style treasury fund managed with help from regulated Web3 asset managers. Also in the pipeline is revamping governance with new voting systems and private ballots for sensitive proposals.
The plan is ambitious and controversial. Some see it as a necessary pivot to compete in the DeFi race. Others worry it’ll tank ADA’s price by dumping too much into the market.
Adding fuel to the debate, Cardano Foundation CEO Frederik Gregaard doesn’t even rate TVL as a key metric for adoption. Back in March 2025, he downplayed the importance of pumping stablecoin ratios. So there’s clearly tension on the direction Cardano should take.
Cardano $ADA often gets slammed for low TVL, but that’s because we’ve built a better financial system.
Liquid staking is an unmatched innovation in financial freedom: earn yield, stay liquid, secure the network.
Here’s what our TVL should look like
pic.twitter.com/Kp6njzdnLj
— McJared (@fathermcjared) July 6, 2025
Meanwhile, social media accounts are already discussing whether the BTC buy is smart risk management or just losing focus.
The $100 million conversion plan hasn’t been confirmed as of the 11th of July 2025, so it’s anyone’s guess where the chips will fall. But one thing is clear that Cardano isn’t going to sit still. Whether this move reshapes the ecosystem or causes internal chaos, it’s going to be a key storyline in the coming months.
