Craft distilling meets Bitcoin: US distillery adopts BTC for treasury use

Heritage Distilling, a Washington-based craft spirits producer, said that it will begin accepting Bitcoin as payment and hold it as a treasury asset.

On Jan. 10, the company adopted a Bitcoin (BTC) treasury policy to accept Bitcoin for products and services via its e-commerce platform. This makes Heritage the first publicly traded spirits company to integrate Bitcoin into its business model.

The company’s new policy states that it is willing “to sell its products and services in return for Bitcoin as a form of payment knowing that even if the price of Bitcoin falls at any given time.” 

“The benefits of attracting a new set of buyers, consumers, and fans, along with the margin cushion the Company can create, coupled with the potential to see Bitcoin increase in value, more than offsets the risk of loss,” reads the new policy.

Heritage Distilling’s website currently indicates that Bitcoin will be accepted for online purchases “soon.”

The company’s decision to accept Bitcoin follows the formation of its Technology and Cryptocurrency Committee, chaired by Matt Swann, a former chief technology officer at Nubank. Heritage announced the appointment of Matt Swann to its Board of Directors, effective Jan. 6.

Financial challenges 

Heritage Distilling’s decision comes amid financial challenges, with its latest earnings report showing $1.76 million in revenue and a $3.43 million net loss in the third quarter of 2024. 

VanEck’s head of digital assets research, Matthew Sigel, noted concerns about Heritage Distilling’s financial situation, stating that with a $3 million loss on $2 million in sales last quarter, “it remains to be seen how much BTC they might actually acquire in the absence of a turnaround in profitability.”

The craft spirits market in the United States continues to expand, with a reported 3,069 active distillers as of August 2024, marking an 11.5% increase from 2,753 in August 2023. 

According to the American Craft Spirits Association, craft spirits now account for 4.6% of the total US spirits market by volume. In terms of value, craft spirits represent 7.5% of the US market, a slight dip from 7.7% in 2023.

Related: MicroStrategy kicks off 2025 with 1,070 Bitcoin purchase announcement

Corporate adoption of Bitcoin treasuries gathers pace

The adoption of Bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset is gaining momentum among US companies. 

MicroStrategy, the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, first acquired the cryptocurrency in 2020 as part of a strategy to deliver higher returns for shareholders and hedge against inflation.

Currently, MicroStrategy holds 447,470 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $42.4 billion at today’s price of $94,781 per Bitcoin. Other companies have followed suit as Bitcoin prices continue to climb to new highs.

According to data from HODL15Capital as of Jan. 6, the top 70 public companies collectively hold 597,644 Bitcoin. MicroStrategy leads the list, followed by Marathon Digital with 44,893 BTC, Riot Platforms with 17,429 BTC and Hut 8 Mining with 10,096 BTC. 

Smaller companies take a page from MicroStrategy’s playbook

Smaller public companies are increasingly adopting Bitcoin as part of their treasury strategies, following the example set by MicroStrategy in 2020.

On Nov. 18, healthcare group Cosmos Health announced plans to include Bitcoin and Ethereum in its treasury reserves, highlighting their value as strategic assets.

Acurx Pharmaceuticals approved the purchase of up to $1 million in Bitcoin on Nov. 20.
On Dec. 5, Worksport, a clean energy solutions manufacturer, approved a plan to allocate up to 10% of its excess operational cash to Bitcoin and XRP (XRP).

Magazine: Rise of MicroStrategy clones, Asia dominates crypto adoption: Asia Express 2024 review