GameStop Didn’t Sell Its 4,710 Bitcoin

GameStop revealed on Tuesday that it pledged nearly all of its Bitcoin as collateral on Coinbase as part of a covered call strategy in January, ending two months of speculation over whether it had sold the coins.

In a 10-K annual report to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, the video game retailer revealed it pledged 4,709 Bitcoin (BTC), nearly all of its Bitcoin, as collateral under an agreement with Coinbase Credit, using the position to sell covered call options.

The SEC filing clears speculation from January that GameStop was preparing to exit its Bitcoin position after onchain analysts pointed out that it transferred its entire Bitcoin holdings to Coinbase Prime.

The Bitcoin treasury industry has faced pressure in recent months as Bitcoin has fallen 45% from its all-time high, with some analysts casting doubt last year on the sustainability of buy-and-hold strategies.

The move shows GameStop sought to earn income on its Bitcoin by placing short-dated call options with strike prices between $105,000 and $110,000 that are set to expire Friday. 

The disclosure shows a $2.3 million unrealized gain and a $700,000 liability tied to the options, while some covered-call contracts expired unexercised in January.

GameStop’s covered call strategy enables it to sell call options that give buyers the right to purchase its Bitcoin at a fixed price. GameStop earns premiums and retains the Bitcoin if the options aren’t exercised.

GameStop directly holds just one Bitcoin now

Since GameStop moved 4,709 Bitcoin to Coinbase, a counterparty that can rehypothecate or reuse the pledged Bitcoin, GameStop is no longer counting those assets as directly held. 

Putting Bitcoin up as collateral “resulted in the derecognition of the pledged digital assets and the corresponding recognition of a digital asset receivable,” GameStop said in the filing.

“Although the classification of these assets has changed, our economic exposure is consistent with direct ownership of the underlying Bitcoin,” it added.

GameStop still holds one Bitcoin that wasn’t put up for collateral.