Digital asset treasuries shift from holding to yield

The era of simply holding Bitcoin as a treasury strategy is ending, as companies are now expected to generate returns from their digital asset holdings.

By early 2026, over 200 listed firms held more than $115 billion in digital assets, yet many trade below the value of those holdings, signalling investor dissatisfaction with passive strategies.

Management teams are responding by introducing metrics such as “BTC per share” and launching buybacks to demonstrate value creation beyond token price movements.

One emerging strategy is infrastructure participation, including staking and Lightning Network activity, which generates yield but requires strong technical and security capabilities.

“Investors want to see capital discipline and economic return,”

Said analysis cited in AMINA Bank Research, highlighting the shift toward active treasury management.

A second model focuses on trading strategies such as arbitrage and options, which can generate income but introduce complexity, operational risk, and reliance on specialised expertise.

A third approach uses crypto as collateral to access liquidity and deploy capital into credit markets, blending traditional finance mechanics with digital assets to produce recurring income streams.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $69,055.51.