Wall Street boosts Bitmine stakes as DeFi lenders buckle on liquidity: Finance Redefined

CoinTelegraph

by Zoltan Vardai

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Wall Street institutions are increasing their investments in Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the world’s largest Ethereum treasury company, despite ongoing challenges in the cryptocurrency market. While DeFi lending platforms face liquidity pressures, major financial players like Morgan Stanley and Bank of America have doubled down on Bitmine during Q4 2025, even amid a broader market sell-off. This strategic move highlights the growing interest of institutional investors in crypto treasury companies, which are seen as stable assets in an otherwise volatile sector. The crypto market’s illiquidity has forced several DeFi protocols to halt operations, with ZeroLend being one of the latest casualties. The platform’s shutdown underscores the broader struggles faced by decentralized finance platforms in navigating bear-market conditions. Additionally, Parsec, a crypto analytics firm, also closed its doors, citing market volatility as the primary reason for its exit. Despite these challenges, Bitmine continues to attract significant institutional interest. As the largest holder of Ether (ETH), Bitmine’s role as a crypto treasury company offers Wall Street giants a chance to diversify their portfolios while managing risk in a bearish market. This strategic positioning has allowed Bitmine to weather the storm, with its major shareholders opting to increase their exposure rather than retreat from the space. For readers following the crypto landscape, this trend signals a shift in the industry’s dynamics. While retail investors and smaller players face significant hurdles due to market volatility and illiquidity, institutional money is still flowing into select areas of the sector. Bitmine’s continued growth and the resilience of its major shareholders underscore the potential for stability and profitability in even the most

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Originally published on CoinTelegraph on 2/20/2026