Cantor Fitzgerald Doubles Down on Crypto: $4B SPAC Bitcoin Deal Signals Institutional Surge
Wall Street's quiet crypto revolution just got louder.
Cantor Fitzgerald—the financial giant that survived the 2008 crash—is betting big on Bitcoin with a $4 billion SPAC-led deal. Because nothing says 'institutional adoption' like merging blank-check companies with digital gold.
Why this matters:
- SPAC mania meets crypto: The ultimate 2020s financial mashup
- $4B price tag proves whales are still hungry despite regulatory chaos
- TradFi players keep building crypto infrastructure while publicly wringing hands about risks
The move comes as Bitcoin flirts with new highs—and just months after Cantor quietly became one of the few SEC-approved Bitcoin ETF custodians. Coincidence? In finance, there are no coincidences. Only well-timed market moves wrapped in compliance-approved paperwork.
One cynical take: When Wall Street starts using SPACs to buy crypto exposure, you know the real money's arrived—right before the bubble pops.
TLDR
- Cantor Fitzgerald is close to finalizing a $4 billion bitcoin acquisition deal with Adam Back of Blockstream.
- The transaction will be executed through Cantor Equity Partners 1, a SPAC that raised $200 million in its IPO.
- Adam Back will transfer over 30,000 bitcoins to the SPAC in exchange for equity in the newly named BSTR Holdings.
- The SPAC plans to raise an additional $800 million from external investors to expand its bitcoin purchases.
- Brandon Lutnick is leading the deal following his appointment as chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald earlier this year.
Cantor Fitzgerald is finalizing a $4 billion bitcoin acquisition through its special-purpose acquisition company, Cantor Equity Partners 1. The deal involves Blockstream’s Adam Back and includes a direct bitcoin transfer exceeding $3 billion. With this move, Cantor Fitzgerald aims to expand its cryptocurrency holdings and strengthen its influence in the digital asset market.
Bitcoin Transfer Set to Exceed $3 Billion
Cantor Fitzgerald plans to acquire over 30,000 bitcoins from Blockstream Capital, led by Adam Back, under the draft agreement. Back will receive equity in the SPAC, which is expected to be renamed BSTR Holdings after the deal closes. The SPAC structure enables Cantor Fitzgerald to execute the transaction without going through traditional acquisition routes.
The digital assets involved are valued at more than $3 billion based on current market prices. This agreement follows Cantor Fitzgerald’s recent activity in digital currency markets alongside major financial partners. Brandon Lutnick, son of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is leading the negotiations with support from crypto industry veterans.
Cantor Equity Partners 1 launched in January with $200 million from its IPO to target digital asset investments. Now, the SPAC is raising up to $800 million from outside investors to fund further Bitcoin purchases. If fully subscribed, this additional capital could drive the total transaction size beyond $4 billion.
Strategic Role of Brandon Lutnick and Blockstream
Brandon Lutnick assumed chairmanship of Cantor Fitzgerald in February after his father stepped back to serve in the administration. His leadership has aligned Cantor Fitzgerald with growing institutional interest in bitcoin through strategic SPAC deployments. This latest transaction reflects a broader pattern of high-level accumulation of digital assets.
Adam Back, co-founder of Blockstream and creator of Hashcash, is contributing the bitcoin in exchange for a stake in the SPAC. His previous bitcoin investments include European firms like The Blockchain Group and Sweden’s H100 Group. These ventures signal his ongoing strategy to build long-term bitcoin positions via corporate partnerships.
The proposed deal with Cantor Fitzgerald adds scale to Back’s bitcoin strategy while positioning the firm as a top institutional holder. This initiative follows a $3.6 billion bitcoin acquisition in April involving SoftBank and Tether, also directed by Lutnick. Together, these deals reflect Cantor Fitzgerald’s consistent push to lead in the crypto market.
SPAC Strategy Accelerates Cantor Fitzgerald’s Crypto Expansion
Cantor Fitzgerald has deployed multiple SPACs to aggregate bitcoin, mirroring moves by firms like MicroStrategy and others. Twenty One Capital, a second SPAC under the firm’s umbrella, has also acquired bitcoin, pushing Cantor Fitzgerald’s year-end target to nearly $10 billion.
The use of blank-check companies gives Cantor Fitzgerald flexibility to MOVE quickly on major crypto opportunities. By bypassing traditional financing structures, the firm can respond swiftly to market shifts and secure large volumes of digital assets.