A crypto crutch for Tesla? How a 30% Bitcoin rally is propping up a challenging earnings picture – Crypto News

• Tesla’s Bitcoin (BTC) holdings are now worth ~$1.2 billion after a 30% BTC price rally in Q2.
• A new US accounting rule (FASB) now allows Tesla to report the fair market value of its crypto holdings quarterly.
• Tesla has not bought or sold any Bitcoin for eight straight quarters, with its holdings unchanged at a cost basis of $184M.

Tesla’s significant Bitcoin holdings are now worth approximately $1.2 billion, thanks to a powerful 30% rally in the cryptocurrency’s price during the second quarter of this year.

This paper gain, highlighted by a recent change in US accounting rules, provides a bright spot in an otherwise challenging earnings report for the electric vehicle giant, which saw its core automotive revenue decline for a second straight quarter.

According to its latest earnings report, Tesla’s Bitcoin stash has benefited significantly from the crypto market’s recent strength. Bitcoin is currently trading at around $118,000, a substantial increase from its price of $83,000 on April 1.

Based on data from BitcoinTreasuries.Net, which lists Tesla as holding 11,509 BTC, the automaker is the tenth largest publicly traded company to hold the crypto asset on its balance sheet.

This gain is now more visible to investors due to a new rule approved by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Effective from the first quarter of 2025, the rule allows companies to report the fair market value of their crypto holdings each quarter.

Previously, corporate holders like Tesla were required to report their crypto assets at the lowest value they reached during the holding period, a method that often failed to reflect market recoveries.

This meant that even if Bitcoin’s price rebounded, those gains would not be reflected on the balance sheet.

Now, Tesla’s Bitcoin gains can be recognized each quarter, providing shareholders with a much clearer view of the asset’s performance.

While its crypto holdings have appreciated, Tesla’s core business is facing significant headwinds.

The company reported second-quarter revenue of $22.5 billion, which, according to one set of figures in the source text, missed analyst estimates of $22.74 billion.

Adjusted earnings per share of $0.40 also reportedly fell below the expected $0.43.

A clear point of weakness was the company’s automotive revenue, which fell by 16% year-over-year, marking the second consecutive quarterly decline.

This follows a report from early July, in which Tesla had already disclosed a 14% drop in its Q2 vehicle deliveries, to 384,000 units.

The company’s stock performance reflects these struggles. Shares of TSLA are down roughly 18% this year, a stark underperformance compared to other big tech names and the broader Nasdaq Composite, which is up about 9% in 2025.

Adding to its challenges, Tesla has delayed its affordable “Model 2” EV, leaving the field open for its rivals.

Chinese EV makers, in particular, are aggressively pushing cheaper, tech-laden vehicles that are steadily eating into Tesla’s global market share.

The sound of silence: Tesla’s unchanged Bitcoin treasury

Despite the significant market value of its crypto holdings, Tesla did not mention Bitcoin once in its second-quarter 2025 financial filing.

This silence is not new. The company has not added to or sold any of its Bitcoin for eight consecutive quarters.

According to the 10-Q form filed with the SEC on July 23, the company’s digital asset holdings remain unchanged at a cost basis of $184 million, the same value it reported in the first quarter of 2024, with no impairment losses or gains noted this time either.

Tesla had initially made a bold move into the crypto space, purchasing $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin in early 2021. Since then, however, it has sold off the majority of its holdings, with the last major sale occurring in the second quarter of 2022, when it offloaded roughly 75% of its BTC stash.

Despite the recent financial and political turbulence surrounding the company, Tesla appears to be holding firm on its current crypto position—for now.

But with mounting pressure from declining revenues and various reputational hits, investors will be watching closely for any future changes to the company’s digital asset strategy.

Following the earnings release, shares of TSLA were up a slight 0.71% in post-market trading, with the stock trading at $331.56.