Biopharma exec says Bitcoin could help industry through ‘biotech winter’

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NASDAQ-listed biopharmaceutical steadfast Atai Life Sciences says cryptocurrencies similar Bitcoin could beryllium cardinal to endurance for biotech startups arsenic they wade done years of regulatory approvals. 

Atai, which is processing intelligence wellness treatments utilizing psychedelics similar DMT and MDMA, has go the latest nationalist institution to denote plans to bargain Bitcoin.

It plans to bargain $5 cardinal of Bitcoin (BTC), its laminitis and seat Christian Angermayer wrote successful a March 20 Substack post.

“Drug improvement is simply a cash-hungry, semipermanent venture,” helium said. “The indispensable steps to execute regulatory support tin easy instrumentality much than a decade.”

TechCrunch reported successful January that, according to aggregate information sets, the fig of startups shutting down roseate successful 2024 compared to 2023 arsenic firms failed to person much backing to support running.

Angermayer said the support process is indispensable for cause development, but it exposes firms to fiscal risks portion sticky inflation and precocious involvement rates person caused the existent “biotech winter.”

Source: Christian Angermayer

He added that the existent manufacture attack is to enactment currency reserves successful near-zero-yield accounts, arsenic “preserving superior was much important than earning a instrumentality connected their currency balance.”

“This discourse sets the signifier for considering unconventional treasury moves — similar adding Bitcoin to the treasury — to code the duplicate threats of ostentation and low-yielding reserves, and successful wide to optimize and maximize shareholder value.”

Atai volition articulation astatine slightest 5 different nationalist aesculapian companies that person bought Bitcoin successful caller months with the purpose of boosting shareholder returns.

Biotech steadfast Quantum BioPharma said connected March 20 that it had present spent $3.5 cardinal successful full to bargain BTC and different cryptocurrencies aft an archetypal $1 cardinal concern successful December. 

Medical instrumentality shaper Semler Scientific said past month that since it started successful May, it had spent a full of $280.4 cardinal buying 3,192 BTC.

Hoth Therapeutics, Acurx Pharmaceuticals and Enlivex Therapeutics said successful separate statements connected Nov. 20 that each of them would bargain $1 cardinal successful Bitcoin.

Related: Michael Saylor’s Strategy plans to connection 5M shares to bargain much Bitcoin

Atai’s Angermayer said his firm’s Bitcoin bargain would chiefly beryllium arsenic a semipermanent ostentation hedge but besides a short-term diversification play. He added that Bitcoin is apt to person short-term terms fluctuations, truthful the Berlin-based steadfast is holding mostly US dollars, short-term securities, and stocks for its desired tally complaint into 2027.

Atai’s $5 cardinal enactment would mean it is capable to bargain conscionable implicit 59 BTC astatine its existent terms of astir $84,300 and marque it the world’s 52nd largest holder among nationalist firms, according to Bitbo data.

Bitcoin has struggled to support afloat amid a wider marketplace rout owed to US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and fears of a US recession, which Trump hasn’t ruled out.

Atai’s stock terms roseate aboriginal successful March 20 trading to a highest of $1.47 but tapered disconnected to adjacent the time down 1.44% astatine $1.37, according to Google Finance. Its banal has sunk astir 93% from its mid-2021 nationalist debut highest but is up 3% truthful acold this year.

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