In its annual filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Tesla said it expects to “ begin accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for our products in the near future … initially on a limited basis, which we may or may not be able to liquidate. receipt.”
In addition, Tesla said it has invested $ 1.5 billion in bitcoin so far. as part of a decision to be “part of [the company’s] cash in certain specified alternative reserves. The company has $ 19 billion in cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet as of December 31.
The announcement gives bitcoin a new dose of legitimacy: the price of bitcoin (XBT) was up 13% in morning news trading. Shares of Tesla (TSLA) were up 2% in premarket trading.