German Biotech Firm atai Life Sciences Adds Bitcoin to Its Treasury Strategy

Germany-based biopharmaceutical company atai Life Sciences (ATAI) has announced its plan to allocate a portion of its treasury to bitcoin (BTC), joining a growing list of firms adopting a BTC-focused treasury strategy.

ATAI Chairman Christian Angermayer revealed the move in a Substack post, citing concerns about inflation and market volatility. He believes holding BTC could help biotech firms optimize capital and extend their financial runway. As part of its initial investment, ATAI will purchase $5 million worth of bitcoin while maintaining sufficient cash, short-term securities, and public equity to cover operational expenses through 2027.

This strategy mirrors the approach popularized by MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor, who has advocated for corporations to hold bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation. ATAI’s stock briefly surged after the news but is now down 2.8% on the day. Meanwhile, bitcoin, which had peaked above $87,000 overnight, is currently trading at $83,900, down about 1% in the last 24 hours.

The announcement underscores the growing institutional adoption of BTC as a corporate treasury asset. With ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, more companies are exploring bitcoin as a long-term store of value.