Tesla's Musk Remains Open to Buying More Bitcoin After Selling in Q2 to Raise Cash

Electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA) sold the majority of its bitcoin (BTC) holdings in the second quarter in order to boost its cash position given the uncertainty around COVID-19 lockdowns in China, CEO Elon Musk said during the company's earnings call Wednesday.

But Musk said Tesla is open to increasing its bitcoin holdings again in the future. He said the second-quarter sale "should not be taken as some verdict on bitcoin," emphasizing that "we were concerned about overall liquidity for the company given [COVID-19] shutdowns in China."
Tesla did not sell any of its dogecoin (DOGE) holdings, Musk also said during the conference call.
Tesla sold $936 million worth of bitcoin, or 75% of its holdings, during the quarter. It sold its bitcoin for an average price of around $29,000 per bitcoin, avoiding a substantial impairment charge by selling earlier in the quarter. Bitcoin ended the second quarter at a price of about $18,700.
The price of bitcoin initially fell about 1.7% to $23,300 following the release of Tesla's second-quarter earnings report, which contained news of the sale. But the price recovered after Musk's comments on the earnings call.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Michael Bellusci

Michael Bellusci is CoinDesk's crypto reporter focused on public companies and digital asset firms.

Follow @mikeybellusci on Twitter

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.