South Korea's Bitcoin treasury strategy encounters setbacks, Bitmax's stock price plunges 88% from its peak

In 2025, several small listed companies in South Korea are competing to replicate Strategy's Bitcoin treasury model by borrowing funds to purchase Bitcoin. Now, the strategy has encountered setbacks, and Bitmax is a typical case.

Bitmax transformed last year to bet on Bitcoin, holding 551 BTC, with a purchase cost of approximately $55 million, of which 539 were acquired through 13 over-the-counter transactions with the chairman, totaling a premium of about $6 million. Burdened by losses, the company announced on March 9 a capital reduction of 4 shares for 1 share, with paid-in capital plummeting from $14.5 million to $3.6 million, and the stock price fell more than 10% the next day to about $0.63.

Compared to Strategy, the gap is clear: Bitcoin has only dropped 12% in the past year, Strategy has fallen about 70%, while Bitmax has plummeted 88%, and Bitmax failed to rise when BTC rebounded, indicating that the market has factored in the company's unique risks into its pricing. Analysts point out that in the absence of scale, capital market channels, and institutional credibility, the risks of this model far outweigh the returns.