Bitmine offers a 9.5% dividend, paid weekly, despite holding nearly $9 billion in unrealized losses on its ETH holdings.
A 9.5% annual dividend, paid in cash to investors every week—this figure is so attractive it raises suspicion, given that the company filing for this offering is sitting on nearly $9 billion in accounting losses, roughly equivalent to 300 billion baht.
The company in question is Bitmine, founded by Tom Lee, currently the world’s largest holder of Ethereum (ETH). On Wednesday, June 3, Bitmine filed documents with the U.S. SEC seeking to raise $300 million through the sale of preferred shares—shares entitled to priority dividend payments—under the ticker BMNP.
The question is: Why pay such a high yield, and why now?
🔹 July 2025 Strategy: The Original Formula
Looking back a year, Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, launched its high-yield preferred shares, STRC, to aggressively buy Bitcoin. It debuted at 9% in July 2025 and climbed steadily for seven consecutive months to reach 11.5%. Investors flocked to it, drawn by the steady income stream combined with indirect exposure to Bitcoin—until the total outstanding value ballooned to around $10 billion. This is precisely the model Bitmine is now copying, simply swapping Bitcoin for Ethereum.
🔹 June 1, 2026: Still Buying ETH, Even While Deep in the Red
Just days before filing its prospectus, Bitmine purchased nearly 30,000 additional ETH, pushing its total holdings past 5.4 million ETH—roughly 4.5% of all ETH in circulation. Yet the value of these holdings carries massive unrealized losses: with ETH trading at $1,774—32% lower than the same period last year—its balance sheet is deeply underwater. Meanwhile, Bitmine’s common stock has dropped nearly 50% over the past six months.
🔹 June 3, 2026: The BMNP Deal Is Launched
Bitmine is offering 3 million shares at $100 per share, with a fixed annual dividend of 9.5%, paid weekly in cash. The shares are set to trade on the NYSE under the ticker BMNP, with Moelis and Cantor as lead managers. Trading is expected to begin within 30 days of issuance.
🔹 Hidden Mechanics in the Contract
The critical detail: if Bitmine misses a dividend payment, the unpaid amount accrues compound interest starting at 9.55%, increasing slightly each week until it caps at 15%. In simple terms: the longer it delays payment, the higher its cost becomes—a noose tightening around its own neck, forcing it to generate cash continuously to meet obligations.
🔹 The Timing of This Deal Is What’s Truly Alarming
This is the heart of the matter: Strategy’s original STRC model is now under serious scrutiny. Last week, Strategy sold Bitcoin for the first time since 2022—just to fund its dividend payouts—and Bitcoin’s price has slipped to around $65,000. Meanwhile, STRC’s market price has fallen below par to $98. Bitmine is choosing to replicate this model precisely at the moment investors are beginning to doubt whether it still works..
The question buyers must ask themselves is: what they are buying is not a deposit guaranteed to return principal, but a bet on Ethereum wrapped in a glossy return package. This type of stock never matures. To get your principal back, there are only two options: the company buys it back, or you sell it to someone else. The moment people stop wanting to hold it, the price can easily collapse.
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In a bull market, everything fits perfectly—coins rise, dividends flow easily, and people rush to buy. But when the market turns, all the pieces snap tight at once. This is exactly what is happening with Strategy, and what Bitmine is now following.
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Social media sentiment is sharply divided. Here is a summary of the overall sentiment trend, not direct quotes.
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The skeptical side sees this model as smelling like Terra Luna, which collapsed due to unrealistically high returns. Some call it outright a Ponzi scheme, arguing that in the end, new investors’ money must fund payouts to earlier ones. They also point out that roughly 80% of those rushing to buy such shares are retail investors who likely don’t fully understand the risks involved.
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The believers counter that this differs from Terra because it is backed by real tokens, not air. The board controls dividend payouts directly. The fact that capital markets still allow such companies to raise funds indicates institutional confidence in the long term. Many view this as mere leverage-induced friction—not a catastrophe.
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For now, all of this remains only a proposed plan pending approval from the SEC and NYSE before trading can begin in 30 days. This case is far from over—stay tuned.
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Regardless of your perspective, is this deal a lifeline for Ethereum’s treasury—or merely a temporary breath of air for a model already showing cracks? Comment and discuss.
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⚠️ This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Cryptocurrencies and stocks carry high risk. Please conduct thorough research before making any decisions.
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#BitMine #Ethereum #ETH #TomLee #BMNP